Chicken Prices Rise Again as Production Costs Continue to Climb

Consumers across Belize will once again pay more for chicken after the Belize Poultry Association (BPA) announced a 12-cent-per-pound increase, effective Monday, July 6th. The adjustment comes just four months after a six-cent increase implemented in March, bringing the total increase this year to 18 cents per pound. According to the BPA, the latest price adjustment is necessary due to the continued rise in production costs, including higher prices for feed ingredients and fuel.
The increase is expected to affect not only households but also restaurants and other food businesses, particularly in tourism destinations such as San Pedro Town, where operating costs are already among the highest in the country. Several restaurateurs told The San Pedro Sun they absorbed the previous increase in March but said the latest adjustment may leave them with little choice but to pass some of the additional costs on to customers.
For many Belizean families, chicken has long been one of the country’s most affordable sources of protein. Yet some consumers say rising prices are making it harder to keep the staple on the table. “It is a struggle every day for low-income families,” said a San Pedro resident outside a local meat shop. “Chicken is not cheap anymore. Even the cheaper cuts are becoming unaffordable for people like us who don’t earn high wages.”
BPA Manager Armando Cowo said rising feed prices remain one of the industry’s biggest challenges. “When you look at the price of corn and soybeans increasing in the local market, it is driven by the rising cost of other production inputs that farmers are facing,” Cowo said. “Another major factor is fuel. Our industry depends heavily on fuel.” He added that the combined increase in feed, transportation, and other operating expenses has placed significant financial pressure on poultry producers.
The BPA noted that increased labor costs following the national minimum wage increase largely drove the March price adjustment. At the time, Quality Poultry Products, one of Belize’s largest poultry producers, said its labor costs had risen by approximately 27%, making a price adjustment necessary to offset part of the increase.
In a press release issued on July 6th, the BPA said the latest adjustment reflects the continued rise in production costs affecting the poultry industry. The Association added that consumers seeking additional information on the revised prices may contact its offices at 822-3221 or 615-9694.
The latest increase comes as Belize continues to experience rising living costs. According to the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB), the national inflation rate reached 4.3% in May 2026, while prices for food and non-alcoholic beverages increased 1.9% during the first five months of the year compared to the same period in 2025.