John Myers Jr, Business Reporter

Dr Keith Amiel, corporate affairs manager, Caribbean Broilers, producers of Cb chicken. - File

Rising food prices have sent consumers searching for smaller parcels of chicken meat in the supermarket, resulting in a three to five per cent drop in sales at Caribbean Broilers, the island's second largest commercial producer of chicken meat.

Corporate affairs manager at Caribbean Broilers, Dr Keith Amiel said the fall-off in sales has resulted in higher than usual inventories of between five and six per cent above projected levels. But Amiel said the slowdown was not considered major, given that the market had seen no fall-off in consumption.

It is also not widespread, with market leader Jamaica Broilers reporting that its sales were on target. Caribbean Broilers processes about 770,000kg of chicken meat per week.

Sluggish sales

Amiel said the company usually keeps a week's supply in storage, but sluggish sales have pushed inventory to about 816,200 kg.

High prices, however, have shifted demand to smaller, cheaper packages of poultry meat.

He has, however, ruled out the likelihood of a price reduction on the company's chicken products given the continuing rise in the cost of grains and fuel internationally.

Momentum

Amiel pointed out that despite increasing prices, which have gained momentum as the cost of grains - an essential ingredient in animal feed - soars, he said chicken meat was still the cheapest form of protein available to the Jamaican consumer and still a staple on grocery lists. Chicken meat is also the most popular source of protein in Jamaica. Over at the Jamaica Broilers Group - the largest commercial producer of chicken meat - sales have remained within the company's target.

"Our sales aren't too bad. We are pretty much where we targeted at this time," said senior vice-president of operations, Christopher Levy, on Wednesday without divulging the specifics of those targets. Jamaica Broilers processes some 681,000kg of chicken meat weekly.

"The challenge right now is the continued and constant increases in grains and fuel," Levy said.

john.myers@gleanerjm.com