THE price of meat, which has been increasing throughout the year, has gone up further ahead of the Yuletide season.

Goat meat, for which there is usually an increase in demand at this time of year so as to make curried goat and mannish water (soup) dishes, has seen a 30 per cent increase in price. The meat which sold for $750 per pound in the second week of December is now retailing for $1000 per pound or more, with prices varying among retailers.

Derrick Cotterel, CEO of Derrimon Traders Limited, a distribution company, told the Jamaica Observer that the price for all meats, whether locally produced or imported, has gone up.

“Between freight rates and the whole supply chain issue, every meat price has gone up. Even locally supplied meat is costing more. The same thing happened to oxtail. Turkey neck price has almost doubled. Kidney also.”

“Meats coming from Australia and New Zealand have been affected, and even from the United States. Turkey prices in New York moved from US$1.05 to over US$2 per pound recently.”

In local retail outlets, goat meat (chevon) is more expensive than mutton (sheep meat), which is almost entirely imported and chiefly from New Zealand and Australia. Jamaicans tend to substitute goat meat for mutton, which is cheaper. In St Catherine at Braeton Meat Mart at Port Henderson in Portmore, mutton was being sold at $821 per pound while goat meat retails for $1,100 per pound.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in its last report said that high demand for meat and labour shortages at packing plants have led to higher meat prices this year.

Its overview of food inflation said prices were forecast to climb by 6.5 per cent this year, double its long-term average of 3.2 per cent annually.

The USDA forecasts the price of pork will rise by 7.5 per cent, beef by 8 per cent, and poultry by 4.5 per cent. Eggs are expected to rise by 4 per cent while fruit and vegetable prices were also projected to rise.

Cotterel said that in response to higher prices, consumers are buying in smaller amounts but they are not changing what they eat, although some might choose other proteins. “They may eat a little less,” he said noting that the most popular meat, chicken, has gone up significantly.

For years the island has been trying to boost animal rearing in order to satisfy local demand for meat. At last report, annual import of mutton and chevon (goat meat) was estimated at over US$15 million.