Sugar, Sugar! Saint Lucia Receives Supplies

Saint Lucia’s Director of Consumer Affairs, Wendy Frederick, has confirmed that the Island, which was experiencing a sugar shortage, has received supplies. “There is sugar on Island. We did receive a shipment of sugar last week,” Frederick told reporters on Wednesday. However, she acknowledged that Saint Lucia did not receive the required quantity. Frederick explained that the suppliers had been experiencing low crop quality and did not want to ship a commodity that would undermine their reputation. She declared it was incorrect to assert that Saint Lucia could only buy two containers a month. The Consumer Affairs Director revealed that the Island would receive about eight containers of sugar next week due to increased production in the past few weeks. Frederick said because Saint Lucia received two containers of sugar last week, the stock had to be managed to ensure availability. In addition, she told reporters that to mitigate future shortages, Saint Lucia has contracted other suppliers within the region. Frederick also declared that sugar is price-controlled. As a result, she asserted there was no reason for price gouging or hoarding. “We will be getting sugar. We have procured enough to ensure we do not have a shortage,” Frederick stated....