For the second time in four months, the per-pound price of chicken has increased again.
In March it went up by 6 cents, and effective today, it has increased by 12 cents per pound, bringing the total increase for 2026 to 18 cents per pound so far. But what is driving it? Jaleeza Roberts takes a look:
Belizeans will now pay more for chicken after the Belize Poultry Association today announced an immediate increase in poultry prices, citing rising production costs. The price of whole chicken has increased by 12 cents per pound effective today, while other poultry products will also see price adjustments depending on the cut or level of processing. And what caused it? Manager of the Belize Poultry Association says it's primarily fuel and other inputs:
Armando Cowo, Manager - Belize Poultry Association
"When you look at the price of corn and soybean going up in the local market, that is being triggered in itself by the cost of other inputs that the farmers are facing. So that is one issue. The other issue is fuel. Our industry runs on fuel. The last time, Channel 7 did a documentary, and you can see how much the industry runs on fuel."
In March they raised the price by 6 cents, which triggered our newsroom to take a visit to all the poultry plants from start to finish to understand what we were dealing with. At the time, the increase was due to wages, but even then, other factors were cited:
Poultry Industry's Increasing Cost Of Labor Triggered Price Increase
April 17, 2026
Raymond Barkman, General Manager - Quality Poultry Products
"We haven't gone up with chicken in four or five years. We had the minimum wage increase and we had the other one that is going to happen soon, or so they say. So what we did at our company, we already made it happen. The minimum wage increase is both the one that already happened and the one that is coming. So we set that price up to where it's going and that's... In fact, I've done the numbers because percent-wise, our wage, our labor has gone up 27%, but we're only raising the chicken 3%. So that is just literally to subsidize some of the labor costs."
Poultry Industry's Increasing Cost Of Labor Triggered Price Increase
April 17, 2026
Armando Cowo, Manager - Belize Poultry Association
"Part of the justification in raising like I said is to meet the labor force demand, one, and two, to meet the innovation and sustainability that you are currently seeing with your own eyes."
And what happens to the industry will impact the price of a plate of food. But Cowo is not convinced that a 6-dollar increase in the cost of a 50-pound crate of chicken is the main driver of increasing food prices:
Armando Cowo, Manager - Belize Poultry Association
"Those businesses-and I repeat because I have said this before in past increases-those businesses that are telling you that they are not making it, it's kind of hard to buy into their argument because if you are not making it, you would close your business. That's one."
"Two, you would look at where else you can shift your resources and juggle it up so that you come at the top, bearing in mind that this is an increase of 12 cents for the meat. And I've said it before, they must have other hidden costs that they are not telling the consumer, which is why they might not be profitable or they might not be making the profit margin that they expect to make."
Jaleeza Roberts, 7News.
The increase works out to $6 dollars per 50-pound crate.
