As prices of local chicken and chicken products go up from today, the Prices and Incomes Board confirmed that it will continue to monitor the percentage mark-up imposed on these products by the retailers.
Acting PIB Secretary, Lucy Naimawi said they will continue to monitor the prices for frozen chicken as the retail percentage mark-up price for chicken is allowed at 12 percent and the wholesale mark-up is allowed at 4 percent.
PIB also confirmed that people can complain to them if they believe that traders are putting up mark-ups higher than the 12 percent allowed for local chicken and chicken products.
Fijivillage News has obtained the price list for Crest Chicken and Rooster Chicken products.
The wholesale price for a Size 10 Chicken which used to be $6.22 now sells at $6.54.
This is the wholesale price. The retail percentage mark-up is then expected to be 12 percent which would come to about $7.32.
One major supermarket Fijivillage news spoke to said that the 12 percent will be imposed once they receive the new pricing structure from the suppliers.
Under the agreement, people under the Food Voucher Programme will get 25 percent discount on selected local chicken products.
Meanwhile hopes are high that the necessary support is now provided to the local poultry industry to ensure that Fiji becomes self sufficient and does not import chicken for the local market in the future.
Commerce Minister, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said with the price control lifted for local chicken, the local poultry industry will focus on a number of projects that will result in import substitution and hopefully also result in maximum chicken production which could also be exported.
Sayed-Khaiyum said the prices for local chicken will increase over a nine month period starting from today and gave an example where a Size 10 chicken which costs $7 is expected to cost $7.70 in nine months time.
However he said Crest Chicken and Rooster Poultry are ready to inject funds from next year to increase chicken production and provide more employment opportunities.
Sayed-Khaiyum had earlier said that chicken still sells at very competitive prices compared to other meats. He said by comparison, lamb sells at about 14 dollars a kg, beef sells at 12 dollars a kg, pork sells at about 14 dollars a kilo but he said chicken sells at about 7 dollars a kilo.
He said this still gives people the opportunity to use local products.
