The prices of chicken meat have touched a historic high and it is being sold for Rs 270 per kg in the city, the stakeholders of the industry told Pakistan Today on Saturday.
The consumers have also showed their surprise over the response of district and Punjab government and have said that action was taken over the smallest pretext but this issue was being ignored.
The prices of live chicken have touched Rs 172 per kg while chicken meat is available for Rs 270 per kg. The prices have never been so high in the past and it is astonishing for the consumers and people associated with the poultry industry.
The prices of chicken were hovering at Rs 90-110 per kg when the current Punjab government came to power but now it is more than double. The Punjab government has frozen the mutton prices at Rs 400 per kg and beef at Rs 190 per kg but is reluctant to apply this rule in the prices of chicken.
The consumers have shown their displeasure over the high prices and have demanded of the provincial and district governments to control it.
“Last time when the price touched Rs 200, the CDGL took notice but now even the CM is a silent spectator,” said a consumer, adding that the increase was illogical.
When the prices reached Rs 200, then District Coordination Officer Sajjad Bhutta fixed the prices at Rs 200 per kg. Though the action was criticised by some circles but still it was enough to control the chicken prices.
However, the current DCO Noor ul Ameen Mengal has not taken any action against increase in prices.
The consumers urged the district government to take strong note of the increase and to fix the prices.
Another consumer Tariq Hussain said it had become impossible for the poor to eat chicken. “Average income of the poor is Rs 200-300 per day, how can they afford chicken?” he asked.
“Controlling prices is the responsibility of the Punjab government, which is quick to critcise the federal government for inflation,” he said.
The poultry industry sources said that some political personalities were involved in the business of chicken and it is the reason, the government—provincial and district are mysteriously silent over this issue. They said that a chicken costs around Rs 45-55 per kg and after feeding it for four to six weeks, the price should not go beyond Rs 110-120 per kg but in market it was being sold for Rs 170-175 per kg. “The profit of Rs 50-60 on each kg is huge amount,” the sources added.
The chicken sellers also complained in decline in sales due to high chicken prices. “The consumers are not interested in buying chicken and are opting for beef and mutton and ultimately our sales have dropped,” said a chicken seller Abid Ali adding that the chicken prices should be fixed like the mutton and the beef prices.
“If the chicken prices are fixed at certain level then it would be useful for the retailers,” he said adding his sales had dropped sharply in the last one month. He said the sales have dropped sharply and now it had become difficult for him to do business. “The chicken growers are earning more than enough but we are at the losing end,” he lamented.
