Families are becoming impoverished due to the increasingly high cost of living people currently face and the scarcity of basic goods like sugar, chicken and other food items which are essential components to everyday lives in Samoa.

The chicken and sugar shortage does not just affect businesses, but also families as the increase in chicken prices eats into household budgets. 

The ongoing saga of the nationwide chicken supply shortfall is familiar to some who have dealt with it before, and according to a few, they are being forced to forego many family responsibilities and priorities to keep up with life.

Sara Sili from Tufuiopa who does her weekly grocery shopping at Frankies or Farmer Joe, has been forced to buy less chicken as her family cannot afford it.

The 48-year-old housewife said with her husband as the family’s only breadwinner, they barely have enough to feed themselves and her grandparents with their four children, aged between eight and 13 years.

“I usually buy three chicken legs because my family’s favourite dish is my chicken curry- so I’ll make it twice a week. But nowadays, I can only budget for one piece of chicken or tin fish,” she told Samoa Observer.

“Between my husband and I, I manage the family money and decide the grocery budget as well. I set aside $150 a week for all my raw produce- fish, chicken, vegetables and once in a while some mutton.

Faleao Filoi, 68, a retired senior citizen who cared for his struggling children, expressed his frustration to Samoa Observer, claiming that the government does not care about the welfare of common people like him. 

"The government is accountable for everything that is going on in our country, and it saddens me to see that they appear to be living and eating well while doing little to help the people," he said.

"Despite having stable jobs, my two adult children who look after our family are continually complaining about how costly things are and struggle to make ends meet. 

"Life is already hard for us, regular people. The government does not care about us.

Regarding the chicken shortage, canteen proprietor Pine Laulima, who has been operating at the National University of Samoa for seven years, said that the shortage of chicken has affected his already fragile business and is something he has never experienced. 

He said chicken has been the primary meat on which his canteen has relied for a consistent income, and that he is unsure of what would be a better substitute for chicken to satisfy consumers while being profitable.

“Now with the chicken prices going up, I have to up my prices and limit the amount of food I can provide. People who are my regulars, question me and think I’m doing this to make more profit when the truth is I am just above the water,” he said.

“This whole situation is a headache and I can not satisfy everyone given the lack of resources.

“I need to make ends meet and pay our bills and other family needs."

The current shortage in food items has been attributed to delays in shipment. The PFL Matai that was supposed to have been in Apia on 12 February is still in Fiji undergoing repairs.