Depot owners claim chicken shortage

JUST DAYS after the Supermarkets Association of TT issued a statement denying reports of a chicken shortage in the country, poultry depot owners are saying otherwise. There is indeed a shortage, they insist.

One depot owner, who preferred to remain unnamed, said deliveries from two main suppliers had already stopped for the week, but are due to resume next week. He said this has left many depots with only enough supplies to get them through one day. He further claimed that the birds that were delivered were underweight, weighing between 3.7 to four pounds. There was a similar complaint from a depot owner in South Trinidad who said an announcement by the owner of one of the major processing plants that there were 1.6 million chickens to be marketed was misleading. “We have two pluck shops and in ten days, we have received no chickens. We even put an ad in the newspapers saying we are willing to pay $5 per pound, but there are no chickens.” He said processors were servicing the supermarkets to keep up the appearance that there was no shortage. However, he said, they are not supplying the live market.

“This market is worth millions of dollars,” he maintained. “There are at least 30,000 to 40,000 persons employed in this industry and now many have no work because of this shortage. When they are out of jobs for a while this will mean more crime in the country.” Additionally, he revealed that his two shops usually sell 3,000 chickens per week. However, on Thursday they received 168 birds which were immediately sold out at $4.50 per pound. “This is ridiculous,” he declared. “I think that they are holding back on the chickens to boycott the live market and instead sell to the supermarkets for between $6.50 and $7 per pound.” Ronnie Mohammed, senior vice president at Nutrimix Ltd, one of the major poultry processors, said  the depot owners claims were “irresponsible.” “These people are rather hard to please,” he said in a telephone interview. “I want to reiterate that there is no shortage. There is an adequate supply of birds. They are small, but over the next couple of days, they will gain weight.”

Mohammed advised the public not to engage in panic buying since this would result in faster depletion of the stock. “They are saying that they are not getting supplies, but we are delivering the birds, just not fast enough for them. “We are trying to get five-day stocks out in three days since we only opened on Wednesday after being closed for stock-taking. The situation has improved from last week when they were not getting any birds at all and we are sure it will get better next week.” Mohammed said the plant had in excess of 300,000 birds of four pounds and up for marketing. Processed chicken, he continued, is being sold at an average price of $6.40 per pound, while live chicken is being sold at the stipulated price of between $3.50 and $4 per pound. “Prices are governed by the state,” he maintained, “and they are still within their stipulated price range. Although we are seeking a price increase, we are not holding the birds to increase the prices.”