Chicken is one of the most affordable forms of protein in the daily diet of many Belizeans, and tonight the price has increased by 6 cents per pound, or $3 per 50 pound crate.
Since the price hike, food vendors have warned that the increased overhead will force an immediate adjustment to prices per plate.
Today, Jaleeza Roberts got both sides of the story today and filed this report:
The per pound price of chicken has gone up. And while it seemed like it happened overnight, the Manager of the Belize Poultry Association explains that this has been in the pipeline for about 6 months.
Armando Cowo, Manager - Belize Poultry Association
"The last price increase that we had on our products was like 5 years ago so it's not like we're trying to recover anything from the prices that are swirling around us right now, we're simply following our strategy that we have in place that we try not to increase prices like sporadically but plan according to how the production costs swirl around us."
"It has been thought out for the last 6 months or so we are looking at it and we decided that early this year it would be implemented."
And the reasoning behind the increase? The farmers need to get that return on investment:
Armando Cowo, Manager - Belize Poultry Association
"Stakeholder are our farmers, our farmers need to make money, they need to make more money I mean it's not like they are making a, a lot of money out of it I mean the profit margin for our farmers is very very small and they are a diversified group of farmers so they don't really depend on just one industry for their income, and that is why we are able to move along the way we do."
"That's the reason for the price increase, it has to do with so that the farmers can recover their cost of production as well, you know. The wholesale price went up by 6 cents and the, I know the retailers had already put `an increase before our increase."
And the increase will inevitably be passed on to the price of a plate of food. City eateries told us that a price increase is inevitable as the poultry is simply joining the list of all other things that have seen an increase.
Samantha Smith, Chef Shannon's Kitchen
"It will impact drastically, everything is a ripple effect, cause the gas at the pump went up last night you know transportation and everything is increasing so when it comes to small business owners like myself and others we have to do a little raise nuh."
"We just have to continue to keep the food nice, have the correct ingredients everytime, consistent ingredients and maybe we could just take off a little piece of the chicken you know because the chicken went up and so if you does used to get 3 pieces, it's to pieces. We could work out something and let the price remains the same but you know some people is a big eater and you know so it's their choice when it comes to that if you want a, the same plate or raised price."
"Chicken is the cheapest meat on a whole that people can afford, increase on chicken I don't know and also households, sometimes people have a lot of kids and even neck and back increased, everything increased."
Sarah Beck, Tony's BBQ
"The price increase of everything is affecting our business and now just today out of the blue, yesterday we ordered chicken and nobody told us that we had an increase with chicken delivery this morning we got the bill it was increased and I was like so upset, I was like you guys can't just do this because it affects us, our prices can't just, our customer comes here and says guess what the price changed today you know, then we won't sell anything."
"It's going to affect us a lot because we're barely making a profit as it is right now."
Reporter
"What are the options that you have on the table right now being that you'll need to adjust to this type of change?"
Sarah Beck, Tony's BBQ
"If things keep on going up like it is, Tony's will probably close its doors just like a lot of other business."
But Cowo is striking back by saying their increase is unjustified and per crate of chicken, a $3 increase should never cause an increase on a meal.
Armando Cowo, Manager - Belize Poultry Association
"They have always said that and it won't, that's the biggest mis-statement that they can make. Because let's look at it, you buy a whole chicken, okay, let's say you are paying what SIB says, $3.25 a pound retail, we increase it by 6 cents, if the retailer adds that 6 cents to the consumer that would make it what 3.31 per pound. When you go to a restaurant, how much do you pay for a plate of food?"
Reporter
"Between 10 to 15 dollars, rice and beans, basic food."
Armando Cowo, Manager - Belize Poultry Association
"Exactly, so how 6 cents will move that needle? Because you don't get a pound of chicken in your rice and beans, but they have always used that excuse because the last time we did the price increase by 5 cents we got the same backlash that oh, I have the increase the price of my food, I have to increase the price of Tacos, I can't sell tacos 3 fi dollar again, I will sell it 2 fi dollar, come on, come on."
A dispute between suppliers and businesses - when ultimately consumers will have to pay.
Jaleeza Roberts, 7 News.
