The price of Lamb in retail outlets has risen by an average of $3 per kilogram as a result of the shortage of lamb overseas.

Price and Incomes Board secretary Lusi Naimawi said though Lamb is a price control item, they can only control it through a markup percentage they give to retailers and importers at their factories.

Looking at the various shops that sell Lamb, RB Patel sells 1kg of Lamb chops at $12.79, an increase of $2.50, Leylands Butchers sell it at $10.55 per kg from $8.00, MH Superfresh sells 1kg at $11.45 while Tebara butchers sells it at $10.49 from $7.99 while their Lamb shoulder selling at $10 will rise to $15 a kg once their stock comes in later this week.

Meanwhile, Leylands Butcher’s manager Chris Yee said Lamb is under price control but they have to cover all their import costs and therefore they total all costs and add their percentage markup to the previous price.

Another retailer, Tebara Meats, have also increased their prices with import officer Waqa Vulawalu saying that they had to do this to recover costs since the devaluation of the Fiji dollar has seen an increase in import price and added that the shortage has pushed them to increase the price yesterday.

Another increase in chicken prices and imported meat is expected in the next few days.