Grocers run low on ketchup, peanut butter

And supermarkets and manufacturers yesterday placed blame on an acute labour shortage.

Shelves at many of the country’s supermarkets yesterday had little or no ketchup and the same could be said for peanut butter. Jeremy Matouk, managing director of National Canners which produces the Matouk range of products explained the lack of labour was having a debilitating effect on his business, at a time when demand both locally and regionally has increased.

“We’re trying everything we can to satisfy demand, but make-work programmes (CEPEP and URP) are creating a critical labour shortage. Workers have left to go to these programmes. We have bought new equipment and we’re retooling. Other manufacturers I know are also mechanising their plants to deal with this labour shortage,” Matouk said. Newsday has also learnt that Vemco Ltd which also produces a number of processed foods has been hard hit by the labour shortage.

Meanwhile, grocers also complained that they have been experiencing difficulties in getting flour.

National Flour Mills has been supplying the local market in the wake of the closure of Nutrimix’s flour mill which is also being re-tooled and will be down for the next four months. Nutrimix produces the popular range of Country Pride flour.

Last week, NFM’s acting CEO, Anthony Joseph said his company will be able to pick up the added demand as a result of Nutrimix’s temporary closure.