Turtle meat discount over, say farm officials

| 05/03/2010

(CNS): Some regular restaurant customers of the Cayman Islands Turtle Farm were offered the chance to buy turtle stew at a 25 percent discount from Thursday evening through Friday morning until the farm sold off its extra stock. The farm confirmed this was a one-off sale and the meat has not been reduced on a permanent basis. Following the price increases last month, the farm has been readjusting the production programme to meet the changes in demand. Managing Director Tim Adam explained that there was some surplus stew in the recent production run and he said the farm made a decision to discount some of the meat to long standing customers.

Adam said the price of all turtle meat was now back to the prices announced last month, which meant stew was again selling for $16 per pound. “We have sold out the overstock amount that we had available at the discounted price.  We have now adjusted our meat production to be better aligned with demand, and we are also now able to take advance orders for future production runs.”

The new director added that the farm was getting used to its new demand levels and would be improving levels of production to meet the adjustments in customers purchasing behaviour. Adam said the new prices which were now in place reflected the real cost of the product.

While there is also a need to reduce the amount of turtles the farm slaughters to ease pressure on the troubled breeding programme, the farm’s main goal is that price matches the cost of production.

“Our goal is to ensure that when we sell meat the farm is not subsidizing the sale,” Adam stated adding that the new prices were set at the level that covers the cost of producing a pound of each type of turtle meat product. 

“Since that time, turtle meat sales have continued, but of course at a slower rate than before the price increase.” He explained that the last meat production run built up a small overstock of harvested turtle meat. To sell off the overstock, the farm sold stew between yesterday evening and this morning at a 25% discount to specifically selected customers.

Although there is no more sale stock left anyone wanting turtle meet can call the farm’s meat production chief Malachi Anglin at 925-8622 to find out what products are still available and to place orders for future meat production runs.

Category: Local News

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  1. Anonymous says:

    I totally agree with you Anonymous on 03/08/10 @ 14:55pm. People are not listening and understanding why the price was raised. The breeding program is having issues and the hatchling rates are declining, therefore if the prices on the meat are increased for a while then the demand for it will decrease and it will give the breeding program chance to catch up again. Like what Big Mac said, nobody is going to die if they dont get any turtle meat and nobody is addicted to it so they can do without it for a while until these issues at the farm get sorted out.

    Before commenting on such things people, please read the facts and reasons why such measures are being put into place.

  2. NHB says:

    I was wondering if they couldn’t repackage the meat in a 3 lbs version instead of the current 5 lbs costing $80.00 since the price is now $16.00 per pound and people could still afford to buy the meat at $48.00 for the new repackage smaller size version.

    NHB

     

    • Anonymous says:

      NHB obviousy you never bought turtle, if you did you would have noticed that of the so called 5lb package there is about 2 1/2 to 3lbs of s**it that have to be thrown away and when  the remainder is cooked it shrinks to about 1 1/2 lbs. so you can literally forget about cutting it down to 3lb package.  Just for your information.

  3. anonymous says:

    Why did you kill them poor turtles?  Did you need to make sale on the turtle backs or wah?  You guys are a bunch of jokers.

  4. That Guy says:

    This price increase makes no economic sense. Lowering demn lowers revenues. Why did we look for ways to increase production of turtle meat instead?

     

    • Anonymous says:

      1. Turtle meat was being sold at below cost, i.e. the farm was LOSING money to sell it, not making money.

      2. Increasing the production of turtle meat at the older prices would have caused the farm to lose MORE money AND deplete the population.

      Why can’t people seem to read and understand the facts?

  5. Anonymous says:

    I’m sure with the increase in price of turtle meat, Cayman can expect tosee an increase in illegal turtle culling and meat sales across the island.  Looks like a very profitable venture for those with no regard for the law or the environment.  I am not condoning this, I am just pointing out what seems to me, to be the obvious.

  6. Anonymous says:

    I told unnna that the Bayas would get turtle meat at the old prices. Ah……McDinejad !!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Turtle meat forBayas only.

  7. Anonymous says:

    Gosh, this place gets more strange, laughable by the day – I really hope that the world is not tuning in to our news!

    • The World says:

      We are indeed tuning in, and we would be laughing hysterically if we were not too busy lamenting the death of "the islands that time forgot" at the hands of the new crop of murdering Caymanian criminals.  Now that the Associated Press is carrying the story of "The Gunfight at the GeorgeTown Corral", the whole world is indeed tuned in.

      Kind Regards,

      The World