Paris (AFP)

The tweet of a member for Guyana, Gabriel Serville (GDR), denouncing, photo in support, the exorbitant price of an organic farm chicken imported by plane and sold 51, 41 euros in Saint-Martin, made the buzz on the internet, relaunching the problem of expensive living overseas.

"Hello @ULesCommercants. Do we not have breeding chains in #Antilles #Guyane to import by air chickens billed 51 euros while 20% of the Antilleans and 45% of Guyanese live on less than 420 euros per month" , is astonished the deputy in his tweet, with a photo of the U brand chicken, taken in a store on the island of Saint-Martin, in the Antilles.

His message, published on Thursday, has since been retweeted almost 5,000 times.

"But who pays € 51 for the chicken? Even when already roasted, it doesn't cost € 51 in mainland France," asked a surfer. "Chicken at this price, I hope it was in business class with a glass of champagne on the plane," replied another.

"In March, I wrote to Edouard Philippe to ask for concrete action to fight against the high cost of living while supermarkets are stuffing themselves with margins up to 55% on products of current consumption in the Antilles Guyana. No answer" added the MP in another tweet.

"The explanation for this price is unfortunately simple: there is no local production, and organic chickens are chickens that fly," said a spokesperson for System U on Friday. AFP.

"This chicken, in mainland France, is sold for 10.75 euros per kg, but when transported by air, the kg of goods costs 12 euros to transport, so for a chicken of 2 kg we arrive at a price of 45 euros, to which are added taxes, marketing costs and the merchant's margin. Hence a final price of 51 euros ", he added.

"This price may seem exorbitant, the spokesman continues, but there are people who come to St-Martin, who want to find imported organic products and are ready to pay this price. (...) Customers have gotten into this habit and are demanding these products from us, "he says.

In the Caribbean island, its brand also offers "chickens at much lower prices, transported by sea and frozen, from France," said the spokesman.

According to Gabriel Serville, a bill was passed in 2012 to make it compulsory for all large surfaces to reserve a place for local productions, but, according to him, it is not applied "in the absence of an implementing decree".

Last July, the competition authority pointed out that prices were on average 12% higher than in mainland France and even 19% higher (Mayotte) to 38% (Martinique) for food alone.

© 2020 AFP