MANDEVILLE, Manchester — The east Kingston-based Caribbean Cement Company is apologising for what some retailers are describing as a major cement shortage.

The latest development comes even as Carib Cement confirmed to the Jamaica Observer that the price of cement has increased by 7.8 per cent effective Wednesday, March 1.

Chad Bryan, communication and social impact coordinator at Carib Cement, confirmed the price increase during a telephone interview. He told the Observer that “within a week customers can expect to see a more stable supply” easing the shortage of cement.

“We have begun to restart the kiln after a 40-day shutdown and we will begin to stabilise supply very soon. We are apologising to our customers for any issues that they may have been experiencing,” he said on Wednesday.

Cement retailers in two south-central parishes are struggling to meet demand because of what they say is a shortage of cement supply from Carib Cement.

Checks made by the Observer on Wednesday with hardware stores in Mandeville and Christiana in Manchester; and Santa Cruz in St Elizabeth had the same complaints of no or limited cement available.

Proprietor of Levon Electrical and Hardware Evon Redman said he has seen a shortage of cement for the past two weeks.

“It has never been so bad as far as I can recall… Normally I would get about 5,000 bags per week,” said Redman in complaining that the deliveries have been reduced to 3,000 bags of cement per week.

“The fact of the matter is that cement sells everything. Once you don’t have cement, the customers hardly want to buy anything,” added Redman.

Basil Phillips, proprietor of Phil’s Hardware on Newleigh Road in Mandeville, said he has had to limit the number of bags each customer can purchase due to the shortage.

“Cement is the main ingredient for construction… So when it is short it affects everybody in the industry, especially hardware. What I do here in Mandeville is that I limit the amount each person can get when I do get some [cement]… if they want an additional amount they probably would have to be purchasing some other item,” said Phillips.

However, in an odd twist, Norman Horne, executive chairman of leading cement distributor ARC Manufacturing, told the Jamaica Observer that he knew of no current shortage.

“No, not at the moment,” he said when asked if his company was experiencing a shortage of cement.

“In February there was some level of shortage… The cement company put their mill into service and maintenance. Their primary mill was shut down sometime in February, as a result of that they had to import cement and there was no production,” he said.

“That has caused some level of reaction in the market when the product was short, but currently there is no shortage. The kiln is back up. The factory is running and we are receiving quantities,” added Horne.

Down the years cement retailers have complained of the long-standing problem, which they say impact sales with cement being a key product in construction and hardware supply.