Some questions for chicken processors

THE EDITOR: How can three local chicken processors deny and prevent hundreds of thousands of consumers of their most fundamental rights based on free world of globalisation, trade liberalisation and at the same time seriously jeopardise TT’s thrust for the FTAA headquarters that will benefit the entire nation? Who are really these processors? Can they justify their importance against hundreds of thousands of consumers and why prevent the right of consumers to choose what to eat and what price to pay? Why prevent an extra saving of $125 weekly to the food bill of every household?Can they give an account on why there are many conflicting reports in relation to local quality and exorbitant price? How come they claim to protect small farmers yet these farmers state that is a misleading statement?

What do prices in other countries have to do with consumer spending in Trinidad and Tobago? Did the last government in 1997 inform them that the surcharge on imported chicken will be removed at end of 2004 and why in 1998 producers declined to lodge any complaints on anti-dumping? Did they prevent the implementation of a National Poultry Health and Improvement Plan in 1998 and 1992? Are these chicken producers export earners? Exactly what is the cost to produce one pound of chicken? What prices are used and presented to Government on the cost to produce one pound of chicken? Are prices used direct from foreign suppliers or after from various companies? Who controls and monitors supplies and prices of poultry and livestock feeds?

Who controls and monitor prices of day old chicks, farm equipment, vitamins and medication to farmers? Who are the owners of feed mills, hatcheries, processing plants and 92 percent controlled large farms? Who are the owners of companies that are involved in the importation of grains, hatching eggs, raw materials to produce feeds, farm equipment medication and vitamins? How many profit centres are there and what are the percentage mark-up? Are these companies making separate profits before chickens are produced and sold to consumers?

To produce one chicken, 92 percent is imported grains, six percent is water and two percent is labour. Why should processors prevent consumers the right to cheaper importer chickens when as much as 92 percent inputs are imported to produce local chickens? Exactly how many farmers and employees are employed in the industry? Is it 525 to 12,000 or as recently stated 20,000 to 45,000? If one examines their audited financial statements that are submitted to the Board of Inland Revenue, would figures such as revenues, expenditures, profits and equity relate to the kind of weekly production of 700,000 chickens and amount of investments they now claim? What is really preventing prices of live and frozen chickens to be under $2.25 and $4.25 instead?

ANTHONY MAHABIR
c/o Consumers Intelligence Unit