The price for chicken continues to climb countrywide, due to increased consumer demand and a shortfall in production.
A few short weeks ago, chicken was sold for approximately $280 per pound. Yesterday at Gina & Sons Chicken Depot, located at Orange Walk, Bourda, chicken was being sold at $380 per pound. At another popular outlet just opposite the Bourda green, the cost was $440, while within Bourda Market, chicken was being sold for as much as $470 at some stalls.
At Bounty supermarkets the cost was lower, and chicken could be obtained at $321 per pound. Sales representative Debra Gibson informed that while a shortage was noted, the Bounty chain was equipped to meet the demands of their customers and, consequently, the supermarkets were never out of supplies.
At the Survival and Nigel’s supermarkets, whose supplier is Bounty Farms, chicken was being sold at $336. Stabroek News was informed that these supermarkets were prepared to deal with large demands from customers, as their supplies were assured.
Chicken prices ranged from $380 to $460 per pound at the Stabroek Market. One meat vendor stated that he did not feel there was a genuine shortage, since the supplier seemed capable of meeting the demands of most stallholders.
However, consumers are now opting to use other meats such as beef and pork and even mutton. While some complained about the cost of chicken, however, the fish stalls in the Stabroek Market were a hive of activity. One fish vendor told Stabroek News that she was glad that the price of chicken had skyrocketed. She added that since the rise in cost, she has had a huge increase in her daily fish sales. “I wish it would stay like that, in that way I get to make a dollar and de people get to eat healthier you know,” she said.
