T&T: Call me Mr. Chicken

CONSUMERS are being asked to pay as much as $5 a pound for chicken and Consumer Affairs Minister Danny Montano is urging the public not to buy.

Nutrimix Feeds Ltd, one of the largest poultry producers in the country, yesterday confirmed chicken prices were increased on Wednesday.

"The price has crossed the four-dollar benchmark. Our price is now between $4.80 and $4.99 a pound, depending on volume of purchase, location and so on," said the company's vice-president, Ronnie Mohammed.

He said the increase was necessary because of the escalating costs the industry has faced in the last few months. "The most significant is ocean freight which has gone up 113 per cent. Corn went up 20 per cent, soya bean 52 per cent, hatching eggs 17 per cent, fuel prices 17 per cent and local containerised transportation," said Mohammed.

This is the height of nonsense, even more so since the price increase is not being driven by the loss of livestock from bird flu.