Egg prices reach $65 per carton in Liberia as UCI rejects accusations
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on The New Dawn
In Liberia, importers and consumers accuse United Commodities Incorporated of dominating the egg market amid reported shortages and high prices. The company rejects the accusations, while importers say import restrictions limit competition and contribute to prices of $65 per wholesale carton and 40 to 50 Liberian dollars per egg, reports The New Dawn.
The wholesale price of a carton of eggs has reached $65 in Liberia, while distributors resell it for between $70 and $75, according to The New Dawn. In Monrovia and its surroundings, individual eggs sell for between 40 and 50 Liberian dollars, according to traders quoted by the newspaper.
Importers accuse government restrictions on imports of favouring United Commodities Incorporated (UCI), a subsidiary of West African Premier Investment LLC, and contributing to shortages. They say the authorities are reluctant to issue the required Import Permit Declarations and notification forms, while local production is insufficient to meet national demand.
An importer believes that a single company cannot supply the entire market and warns that maintaining the restrictions would drive prices even higher. Wholesalers also accuse UCI of making the purchase of eggs conditional on buying other goods, a practice disputed by the company’s managing director, Wahab Dhaini, who rejects the accusations and denies any shortage. Retailers, for their part, say the rise in wholesale prices is reducing their margins and threatening their businesses, reports The New Dawn.
