Update: Trinidad to lower chicken prices

Not only will consumers have to wait for about another two weeks before the final approval is given for the importation of poultry products to Trinidad from Guyana to help combat rising chicken prices, but Guyana was now had a chicken shortage.

Trade and Industry Minister Kenneth Valley said the Government was yet to give its final approval for Guyanese poultry products to be exported to Trinidad. Last week, he announced the Government’s plan to begin importing poultry and other meat products from Guyana. Valley had said that Cabinet approved the removal of the 40% import surcharge on poultry products and that the Government had identified Guyana as a candidate for meat importation in the first instance, with Belize and Argentina to follow.

However, it was now reported that there was now a chicken shortage in Guyana and that country’s government had reduced the tariffs to allow chicken imports of 750,000 mt for the Christmas season but none of the meat had yet arrived.

The paper said the potential exporter for the poultry products to Trinidad, Didco, hoped to have written approval from the Government to begin chicken exports in January.

Didco’s proprietor Deo Singh told Starbroek News he expected by that time there will be a glut in the chicken market, adding that no chicken will be exported before next year since the local market is “tight.” Valley said that failing private sector importation the Government will either use the National Agricultural Marketing and Development Corporation (Namdevco) or the National Flour Mills (NFM.