Chicken licking prices caused by global feed grain shortages

Chicken prices are up by ten cents per pound for whole chicken and twelve cents for parts. This news may not settle well with consumers, but the short of it is that countries across the world are bracing for the hike in prices of one of the most affordable and favorite proteins. Today, the Belize Poultry Association issued a press release from the International Poultry Council warning of the increased retail prices for poultry which they say is caused by the global feed grain shortages. The release states, “Governments should take whatever measures are available to prevent further increases in grain prices. Poultry meat has historically been the world’s cheapest large-scale source of animal protein. Continued high grain prices threaten food security, especially in low income countries.” Chairman of the Belize Poultry Association, Jake Rempel says that the increase in prices will be put in effect by all local commercial poultry producers.

Via Phone: Jake Rempel, Chairman, Belize Poultry Association

“It’s gonna be across the board and it’s gonna be nation-wide because it has mainly to do with the import of soy bean meal and concentrate, which are all imported. All the feed mills that supply the chicken the farmers are getting from the same source so the increase is gonna be the same price and then it’s gonna be the same price in chicken also.”

Andrea Polanco

Jake Rempel

“Alright, Mr. Rempel, with respect to the prices for eggs; are we going to see an increase in that and if so, how soon?”

Via Phone: Jake Rempel

“I wouldn’t be able to comment on how soon, but eventually it is going to happen too because they are fed from the same source that is imported, especially the concentrates and so on; the feed mix which is not produced in Belize. The cost of production will also go up for eggs. I haven’t been informed how soon that is gonna happen, but in the near future, it’s probably gonna happen and to some extent.”

Andrea Polanco

“I understand that the producers here use local corn; explain to us how the rising fuel prices affect the corn producers in Belize and by extension the commercial poultry producers?”

Via Phone: Jake Rempel

“Right. The corn producers are heavy consumers of fuel and oil, which is all imported and is all going up and has been going up for a couple of years, steadily going up. Let’s look at oil for example; I think about a year ago, when you paid ten or twelve dollars a gallon, now you’re paying twenty five dollars alone per gallon right now; that brings production up for the corn farmer and that is what the feed mills buy for the chicken feed and if the corn prices go up in the world market then it’s gonna go up here too because they are getting it from the same sources; imported fuel and the fertilizers that the farmers use.”

Andrea Polanco

“What can consumers expect; do you guys anticipate that there might be another increase in the prices; or that prices may fall?”

Via Phone: Jake Rempel

“Well, it is heavily dependent on the world market of soy bean and the production that comes off the world market and the prices will continue going up here too. We don’t know if it will continue to increase because it has mainly to do with the drought in the U.S which is driving the soy bean up right now. It could be solved in the next year’s crop that is coming but this year’s crop is definitely not gonna be cheaper because of that world market. So local farmers will have to depend that; if the soy bean meal does go up it will have go up gradually too but maybe not to that extent. It is high right now; I doubt it can go much higher but it might go higher. It depends on the in the U.S and Brazil, which are the major producers of soy bean in the world.”

Rempel told News Five that the only thing that may help to push down back the hike in prices in Belize would be a cheaper price of fuel for grain producers. But that is wishful thinking because the local fuel prices are still contingent on world prices.