Shortage and price of chicken, a problem that has been going on for months

Santo Domingo—Chicken units can still be seen on tables and in grocery stores. The white meat most consumed by Dominicans is expensive and remains scarce in the different stalls in the popular neighborhoods of Greater Santo Domingo.

For weeks, chicken has reached a price that homemakers consider very high, and the vendors also share their complaints.

Yesterday, a pound of chicken cost between RD$85.00 and RD$90.00 installs, but it was sold for up to RD$100.00 in grocery stores.

According to poultry farmers, not only have their sales fallen due to the price they have to sell, but there are also persistent inconveniences in obtaining the product for their businesses. This differs from the Dominican Poultry Association (ADA), which, in a statement, assured that the market has improved in terms of supply due to the projected supply.

But the chicken problem is more than just a few days old. A month ago, the Minister of Agriculture, Limber Cruz, given the market shortage and the high price, assured that everything would be normalized by the end of July; however, the problem persists.

“I was in a meeting with the ADA president. We talked about the issue, and they foresee that in about 12 to 15 days, the solution and the yield level,” said Cruz at the beginning of July.

Because the situation has spread, people consulted by Hoy yesterday agreed that it seems the government has yet to solve the problem.

“It is not from now on that chicken is going up and that there is none. They only talk and don’t solve it,” said Blanco Pérez, a vendor in the Villas Agrícolas sector.

According to Felicia Romano, who has been selling in the Los Guandules Market for 30 years, out of 150 pounds of chicken she used to buy, they now only sell 50 and sometimes less due to the shortage.

He said he is buying at RD$66.00 per pound, so he has to sell at RD$90.00.

When asked about the situation, housewives pointed out that they try to buy meat, but due to the price, their families have limited their consumption.

Since June, it has been said that the country’s high temperatures caused the chicken situation.