Caribbean Net News: Flour shortage scare hits Trinidad

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad: One of Trinidad and Tobago's major flour producing companies, National Flour Mills (NFM) has denied reports in local media indicating that the country was facing a major flour shortage.

"We note with concern the recent statements in the media indicating that there was a possible flour shortage in the marketplace and we would like to present the facts to assure our customers that this is simply not so," said officials at the company in a press statement.

"You will remember that our competitor mill gave its customers, by way of a press release; some two weeks notice that it was closing its doors indefinitely at the end of February 2008," the statement goes on to say.

The company admitted the sudden cut-off of supply, particularly for several bakers and smaller supermarkets that do not have significant storage capacity, put them at a severe disadvantage and may have encouraged panic buying among the population.

It says that NFM has in the past supplied the nation, and in the absence of the competitor mill, will continue to adequately supply the country's needs.

In this regard NFM has taken several steps to respond to this situation. First, it said it recognised that customers, both traditional and new, must have consistent availability of flour so that any supply fears are reduced.

NFM ended by saying that there is no shortage of flour in the country.

However, it said as the company works to manage orders over the next few weeks it hopes the situation will regularise and there will be adequate supplies of all products.