Belizeans Feeling Pinch of Chicken Price Increase
The only thing that Belizeans love more than a good “brukdown” session is chicken. Whether, fried, stewed, baked or a favourite, barbequed, chicken is an ingredient on the Belizean family’s table almost daily. Now, this inexpensive Belizean favourite is seeing a price increase.
Jose Abelardo Mai, Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise
Jose Abelardo Mai
“I was in Cabinet yesterday, but I instructed my technicians from the Ministry of Agriculture to meet with the owners of the feed mills, to meet with poultry association, and grain producers. That meeting was held yesterday. I was informed that the meeting went well. It was very productive. We do not expect that price to be that high forever. We will get over this hump.”
Paul Lopez, Reporting
This hump, according to Armando Cowo, Manager at the Belize Poultry Association looks like six cents increase on whole chickens and sixteen cents increase on chicken parts. We spoke to several local food businesses that serves chicken on their menu daily.
Miguel Rodriquez
Miguel Rodriquez, Rodriquez Finger licking Chicken and Pork Barbeque
“For the day I only sell two bucket of chicken. And the price is the same price. I nuh raise up yet.”
Paul Lopez
“Do you expect you will raise your price?”
Miguel Rodriguez
“Well, for right now no.”
Paul Lopez
“At what point will you say I need to raise my price?”
Miguel Rodriguez
“Well maybe if it raise a next lee bit more then yeah. If ih raise ah lee bit more. But for right now I can stay with that five dollars price.”
Paul Lopez
“When is the last time you bought chicken?
Mr. Rodriquez
Mr. Rodriquez, Rodriquez Finger Licking Chicken and Pork Barbeque
“Yesterday we got chicken.”
Paul Lopez
“Did you notice the increase in the receipt?”
Mr. Rodriquez
“Yes, about 20 dollars.”
Paul Lopez
“Do you feel a time will come when you will have to offset that cost?”
Mr. Rodriquez
“I feel so yes, I feel we got to raise the price to six dollars for the barbeque.”
Paul Lopez
“Do you think your costumers will be affected by that?”
Mr. Rodriquez
“Oh yes, I think the sale will go down more. We nuh have enough sale. Cause right now things rough. Six dollars.”
Coreen Rudon
Coreen Rudon, Cook, Belmopan Market
“Well the increased price really affect we business because weh really happen, we have one price weh we sell fuh we chicken and right now weh business slow dah nuh like we even could raise price on it. So we dah the business owner weh the tek the lose for not only chicken, but everything else weh the raise right now.”
Paul Lopez
“So how do you off set that chicken cost. So let say you are spending 20 dollars more, how do you off set that cost, or is it just a lose for you?”
Coreen Rudon
“It’s just a lose because there is nothing else we can do. We need the chicken. Fuh raise the price right now ih wah throw back wih business again. We done have 50 percent of the business right now, but to raise the price it will throw back the business another way.”
Paul Lopez
“So you are saying costumers may not come if you raise the price?”
Coreen Rudon
“Exactly, because costumers say that they the struggle just like everybody else.”
It’s a struggle that everyone is feeling in very austere times. A difficult situation for the farmers and the poor Belizeans says Minister Mai.
Abelardo Mai, Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise
“It’s a difficult situation for the farmers. They are gaining an extra four cents, five cents. But it is even a tougher situation for the public, during very difficult times price is going up. But again, it just shows you that if we were prepared before, if our 20 percent of soy beans would have been at 80 percent today, we would be in a better position. We could tell the farmers it is going hard, slow it down. But again, we have to understand the farmer, but also understand what the poor people in this country are going through right now.”
Reporting for News 5 I am Paul Lopez.
