The price paid by Cuba in October for chicken imported from the US reached a historical record of 1.29 dollars per kilo, 48% more than at the beginning of this year, when it was 0.87. According to data from the US Department of Agriculture compiled by Cuban economist Pedro MonrealHavana reduced its purchases by a third compared to September.
After reaching, the previous month, one of the highest figures in chicken imports from the US, the largest supplier of this product to the Island, in October the volume contracted 36%, going from 25,100 to 15,980 tons.
Cuba spent 20.54 million dollars in October for its chicken purchases in the US, 33.9% below the amount paid in September, 31.08 million dollars. These figures are the lowest after the results of April 2022, when imports plummeted 30% compared to the peaks of February and closed that month with a little more than 21,000 tons, which cost about 23 million dollars. Only the month of May was worse, with the purchase of a little less than 15,000 tons.
Chicken is the meat group that rose the most in price throughout the year, driven by the high cost of raw materials
For its part, the value of US chicken reached a new record in October, at an average of 1.29 dollars per kilo, five cents more expensive than the record recorded in September for $1.24. As a consequence, the economist pointed out, the purchasing power of Cuban families is further reduced with respect to “a food in high demand with very low national production, with no productive solution in sight.”
Chicken is the one that rose the most in prices of the meat group throughout the year, pushed by the high costs of raw materials, mainly concentrate and feed used to feed poultry. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) warned in his last report from the world price index, corresponding to November, that the value of this product will not relax its upward trend due to a drop in production in the large producing countries after the intensification of avian flu outbreaks.
For Monreal, who analyzes data from the US Foreign Agricultural Service, the drop in imports of poultry meat from the neighboring country was not offset by supplies from Brazil, the second largest supplier of chicken to the island. South American nation, 2,642 tons were received for a value of 2.84 million dollars, seven times less than the volume brought in by US ships.
Cuba has to bring most of the food it eats and imported chicken meat has been an essential item on the table for a long time
Elías Amor, also an economist, responded to Monreal’s publication: “There is no money left in the treasury,” referring to the lack of liquidity that the Cuban government faces to meet its commitments.
Cuba has to bring most of the food it consumes and imported chicken meat has been, for some time, essential on the table of Cuban families due to the disappearance from the market of other sources of protein -such as fish, eggs or beef–, as well as the stratospheric rise in the price of pork.
While the Cuban regime continues to blame the US embargo for the lack of basic products on the island, ships with frozen products from the United States continue to arrive at the port of Havana. The last to dock this December 11 was the ship Green Maveric coming from New Orleans.
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