Since observing sugar shortages from mid-January to the start of February, she says the government has expended every effort to get sugar back on the supermarket shelves.

“We are aware that in recent weeks, we did have low supplies of sugar but this has already picked up. We've been getting a steady supply of sugar and we have been selling sugar island-wide so sugar is available,” Frederick said.

Come this weekend, she said, the country is due to receive some more sugar containers to add to the stocks already available.

“This weekend we'll also be receiving 11 containers. Last weekend, we received 6 containers of sugar to be able to supply to the hotels and to supermarkets island-wide.”

As such, Frederick says citizens don’t need to hoard. Hoarding, she adds, disrupts the flow of the market and prevents those in need of the commodity from purchasing.

“There's no need to hoard. There is no need to buy the sugar, store it and hide it. We've contracted other suppliers, other than our single supplier that we had. So we have other supplies. We have sugar coming in from different countries,” she said.

The Director also discourages businesses from engaging in unethical business practices. She says there is enough sugar to allow consumers to purchase their desired amount. 

“I have received reports that persons go into the supermarkets and they tell them that they have to purchase in order for them to get the sugar or the sugar is not on the shelf or they can only get one bag. “We believe that we have supplied more than enough to the supermarkets.”

Saint Lucia’s main sugar supplier is the Demerara Company in Guyana. Commerce Minister Emma Hippolyte disclosed that the government has engaged other suppliers outside of CARICOM.

However, the price of sugar from non-CARICOM countries will be slightly more expensive than the one from Guyana.