Prices of baby’s milk fall sharply |29 May 2009

Nan 1 and Nan 2, in a tin of 400gm, now costs R55 compared to February this year when it was R69.50, this is a reduction of 21%.  

There has also been a decrease in the price of Lactogen 1 and 2. In February it was R51 but as from April it has been reduced by 24% and it now costs R39. Nan 1, Nan 2, Lactogen 1 and Lactogen 2 are also selling at the same price at Chez Deenu and in some other shops.

These reductions reflect the appreciation of the rupee and price developments overseas.
At Supa Save, although the prices are still high in comparison to STC’s, Chez Deenu’s and those of other outlets, there are actually some big reductions. For instance, in January this year S26 Promil cost R822, but now the milk is selling for R231. Nan 2 (400mg) was R400 and now it costs R258.

Salt for brine, not salt for the table

The STC is advising consumers that big consignments of salt imported into the country by private organisations are not for home use but for brine to preserve fish on board tuna boats.

The salt STC imports and sells to the public is a superior quality, refined and iodised table salt, in 500gm packets. There are many other importers of table salt for cooking and spicing of food.

The other type of salt is a rough product that is for industrial use on tuna vessels and comes in white 50-kilo bags that are often seen being carried on tractor-trailers through Victoria. It is then discharged into the sea after the fish is unloaded from the boats.

Newspapers in Seychelles are confusing readers about the two types of salt, using the lower price base of the industrial product to make allegations of overcharging.

Le Nouveau Seychelles Weekly reported in April and May that 2,500 tons of salt was shipped to Seychelles from Yemen in January.

The STC normally imports between 20 and 50 tons of the refined table salt at a time, and the 2,500 tons the paper referred to would last for two years.

“Not a serious commercial proposition when we normally buy about 50 tons at a time, which is good for two months’ demand,” said a spokesperson for the STC.

“The STC has never imported salt from Yemen. Our refined salt is currently from India.”
She added that the STC is not in the business of importing industrial salt for tuna vessels.

Commodity briefs from around the world

• Trading Corporation of Pakistan to avoid rice market

• High sugar prices seen deterring Indian buyers

• Thailand to sell 60,000 tonnes of raw sugar in tender

• Thai rice prices see slight correction as sale is delayed

• Economics of US biodiesel now ‘extremely negative’

• Ghana beats its cocoa buying target

• Greece extends ban on genetically modified maize

• Algeria set to double domestic grain output in 2009

• Spain’s grain harvest expected to be down, maize up

• Egypt denies claims over wheat import restrictions

Crude oil prices

As at 28/05/09

Nymex Crude Future                 63.49   dollars per barrel
Dated Brent Spot                       61.69   dollars per barrel