– but Agriculture Minister warns industry players against price gouging

IN light of reports of an increase in the price for chicken, Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha has confirmed that the price for chicken and other meats have not increased.

“There is no increase, I spoke to the poultry association and the large suppliers,” Minister Mustapha told the Guyana Chronicle on Sunday. The minister further warned that vendors must also desist from price gouging.

This publication on Sunday morning also visited several municipal markets which indicated no evidence of an increase.

One Vendor, who plies her trade in the Bourda Market, noted that the price for chicken has remained the same; however, she said as the Christmas season is nearing, the price may increase as the demand rises.

Meanwhile, a vendor at the Stabroek Market said the price for ‘greens’ went up during the May-June rainy season, but has since fallen.

“It’s not easy out here, the prices sometimes go up and come down, but you know, we trying, we got to keep trying,” the woman said.

‘Fitz’ (only name given), a fish vendor at the East La Penitence Market, told the Guyana Chronicle that while catches have been low, the price for fish has not increased.
A parcel of five large Banga Mary is $1,000, while a small parcel is $500.

According to information provided by the Minister, at Bounty Supermarket, chicken is being wholesaled at $390-$400 with the retail price being $426; at Royal, the wholesale price is between $360-$390; at Arjune, the wholesale price is $290-$300 with the retail price being $360 and at Pompey, the wholesale price ranged from $300-$360 with the retail price being between $400-$460.

At the Haniff Butcher Shop at Meten Meer Zorg, beef was sold for some $700 per pound. The Department of Public Information (DPI) reported that Tony Anthony, proprietor of Tony’s Pork Shop at the Bourda Market, said that the price for pork has been stable for the past few months.

“Pork is $600 a pound and pork scarce you know,” DPI quoted him as saying.

DPI also reported that Shawn Rankin, owner of Robin’s Halaal Meat Centre at the Bourda Market, said the price for chicken and beef has been stable for the past months. Beef at his stall is sold at $640 per pound.

At Saleem Meat Centre, at the La Penitence Market, beef is also sold at $640 per pound.

“We sell by the pound because people don’t want to pay the extra for the kg,” proprietor Naeem Bacchus told DPI.

Bounty Farms Limited’s Assistant Managing Director, David Fernandes, in another section of the media, also confirmed that there is no increase in the price for chicken and other meats.

Meanwhile, in efforts to reduce the high cost of living in Guyana, government had made many interventions. These include the distribution of some $7.5 billion in COVID-19 cash grants and another $7.8B in flood relief grants to farmers.

Additionally, the government has distributed $1 billion in fertilisers to farmers all across Guyana as a means of absorbing the rising global costs for the commodity, and preventing the costs from being passed on to consumers at the market. Millions of dollars have also been spent on the provision of extension services to farmers.