The price of chicken meant is increasing with each passing day in the local market due to rising demand and increasing short supply. During visits to different markets on Sunday, this scribe observed that the chicken meat was being sold at Rs 195-197 as compared to the last week's closing rate of Rs 175. When asked about the reasons behind surging prices, some meat sellers said there is no supply of chicken in the market. They were off the view that it is the prime time for earning maximum profits.
It is worth mentioning that the chicken meat price has been increased from Rs 142 to Rs 197 in just a one week and the dealers. Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA) Secretary Javed Bokhari said that no chicks are available for farmers as transportation of chicks from hatcheries to farms has been suspended by the district administration. He said that the prices of chicken have taken an upward flight in anticipation of shortage of ready chicken in the future.
On the other hand, the Punjab government on Saturday had clarified that animal feeding shops and feeding mills dealing with poultry/animal raw material, rice husk and livestock feed mills are exempted from the lockdown.
However, the Punjab Livestock and Dairy Development Department (PL&DDD) spokesperson said that after announcement of the lockdown, they are being approached by the poultry feed millers and poultry farmers complaining that district administration is forcing them to close down their operations. "Even if the employees or farmers are working within the boundary wall of the mills or farms they are asked to stop working," he claimed.
He said if the lockdown is extended and the poultry operations will be closed down. "If we start raising chicks today, the lot will be available to the market in near Ramazan or Eid-ul-Fitr. So the closure now means unavailability of chicken meat at that time," he added. He said the PL&DDD had held a meeting with S&GAD requesting them for clearing the situation.