Mid-East war impacts –

Chicken gaan up, again!!

BELMOPAN, Mon. July 6, 2026

   Belizean consumers will once again be paying more for chicken, after the Belize Poultry Association (BPA) announced another increase in poultry prices, just four months after the last adjustment. Effective immediately, the price of whole chicken has increased by 12 cents per pound, with the BPA attributing the latest hike to escalating production costs driven by higher grain prices, fuel costs, and imported feed premixes.

   Speaking on the increase, BPA Manager Armando Cowo said the association had hoped to avoid another price adjustment so soon after the previous one. However, he explained that global economic pressures, particularly those linked to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, have significantly increased the cost of producing poultry.

   “Four months ago, we did an increase, where we were trying to meet rising labor costs and other product development that we were targeting. That increase did not take into account factors that we are going to address today,” Cowo explained. “Today, the increases are due primarily to the rising cost of inputs that are affecting our industry.” Cowo said the poultry industry has been heavily impacted by what economists often describe as “imported inflation,” with international events driving up the price of key commodities required for local production.

   “We didn’t foresee what was going to happen when this Middle East war broke out. We thought it would have been short, but it has affected global prices, and it has affected us in many ways,” he said. “Some people call it imported inflation, but it’s the high rise in prices that affects us as well.”

   According to Cowo, feed remains one of the industry’s largest expenses. Belize’s poultry sector is the country’s biggest consumer of locally produced corn and soybeans, but the cost of those commodities has remained elevated. At the same time, fuel prices continue to fluctuate, increasing transportation and production costs. He also pointed to the sharp rise in the price of imported premixes which are manufactured in Europe.

   “The premix that we use is manufactured in Europe, and therefore the cost of production has gone up in Europe. They are passing on those costs to their consumers, countries like us,” Cowo said. “We would have liked to remain stable for a long period of time, but unfortunately we cannot absorb those variations in prices. It is a tough call, but we have to make it.”

   The increase will not be limited to whole chickens. Other poultry products, including wings, breasts, neck and back portions, and various processed chicken cuts are also expected to become more expensive. However, Cowo said the extent of those increases will vary depending on the level of processing involved.

   “Everything runs on energy. All those cuts have to be processed and packaged, and even packaging is going up,” he noted. “The companies will have to look at it closely because they know exactly what it will be.”

   Cowo added that the latest adjustment became unavoidable after suppliers informed the association of a sharp increase in the cost of premixes, forcing producers to reassess their pricing over the weekend.

   “The product shifted beneath our feet overnight,” he said. “As our stocks were dwindling down, we realized that the next order was very high. No matter how much we look ahead, there’s an economic point where you have to take these things into consideration.”

   The latest increase comes amid broader concerns over rising food prices, adding further pressure to household budgets as consumers continue to grapple with the higher cost of living.