Flour shortage

by Viclene Matthews 08.AUG.08

The shortage of flour in St.Vincent and the Grenadines is expected to continue for another few weeks.

This week, several persons turned up at supermarkets and bakeries to face the same problem -a shortage of flour and a shortage of bread.{{more}}

Martin Laborde, Marketing Manager of the East Caribbean Group of Companies (ECGC), told SEARCHLIGHT on Wednesday, August 6, 2008, the present shortage of flour is caused by the late arrival of the grain vessel.

According to Laborde, the vessel is three weeks late. He disclosed that it was expected to arrive in St Vincent on July 13, but was delayed. It is now due to arrive on August 17, 2008.

Laborde is anticipating flour would be on the market by August 20.

The Marketing Manager said, in spite of the challenges, efforts are being made to source flour from Barbados and Grenada.

He mentioned that ECGC received a shipment from Barbados but this has already run out.

Laborde expressed that the flour shortage is not isolated to St.Vincent and the Grenadines. Even though supplies are being sourced from Barbados and Grenada, those countries are also facing similar problems, but they are not as acute as ours, he said.

A supply of flour was expected to arrive from Grenada last Wednesday night, said Laborde.

He noted that because ECGC has to purchase flour from other suppliers, the Government has given a ‘temporary increase for the price of flour’.

Beresford Phillips, proprietor of Phillips Bakery, said there is a “drastic decrease in production” at his bakery. He stated that the quantity of flour he received has reduced to about 20 per cent. Phillips explained that because ECGC has to purchase flour from another supplier, there has been an increase in the price of flour.

He told SEARCHLIGHT that previously a sack of flour cost EC$104 dollars, but bakers are now paying $140 dollars per sack. This has resulted in them increasing the price of their bread.

Sarah Sahadeo, of Allan’s Smith Bakery, said that the shortage has not affected her company because they have cut back on the amount they produce. She told SEARCHLIGHT Allan’s Bakery has no intention of increasing prices because they did so recently.

An employee of PH Veira Bakery who prefers to remain anonymous said that customers are complaining that ‘You have flour factory here and no flour’.

The employee stated that there is no flour at the supermarket but the bakery has some supplies.