Chicken meat prices rise by Rs40 per kg

RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: The chicken meat prices have gone up by Rs 40 per kilogram from Rs 130 to Rs 171 in three days due to increased demand in the on-going marriage season and Christmas festivities.

Secretary Poultry Market Committee Javed Bokhari told Business Recorder here on Wednesday that broiler whole sales rate on 21st December was Rs 112, retail Rs 118, and meat Rs 171 per kilogram, eggs Rs 2910 per crate of 30 dozen, retail Rs 99 per dozen.

Former President Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA) and a prominent exporter of chicken meat Abdul Basit said that the poultry farmers had been selling chicken at a loss of Rs 50 per kg against their cost of production of Rs 180 per kg.

He said the cost of poultry products has further increased with the enhancement of wheat support price by Rs 100 per 40 kg and frequent increase in electricity tariff and other inputs.

He said as demand for relatively cheap chicken meat is on the increase the small farmers are closing down their business due to uncertainty of their business and frequent financial losses.

He said there are more than 25,000 poultry farms across the country which daily supply more than 3 million birds or 6 million kilograms meat to the consumers.

Poultry market experts say that poultry prices are regulated by demand and supply mechanism but the credit goes to the poultry farmers who continue to supply chicken meat to the consumers at reasonable rates as compared to prices of mutton and beef prices.

However, prices of mutton have decreased from Rs 560 per kg to Rs 540 per kg after Eidul Azha in some parts of the provincial capital.