KARACHI: Chicken prices have almost come at par with veal
and beef rates owing to the city government’s frequent increases in
official prices, thus giving a free hand to stakeholders to fix prices
at their whims.
The meeting between the officials of
Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA) and the commissioner of Karachi on
Dec 22 aimed at controlling prices has so far proved hard on the pockets
of consumers.
The new official rate of live bird and its
meat on Wednesday was fixed at Rs204 and Rs316 per kg which prior to
the meeting was Rs186 and Rs288 per kg. The commissioner’s rates of
broiler live bird and its meat prevailing in middle of November were
Rs124 and Rs192 per kg.
The city government has raised
the price of live bird and its meat by Rs80 and Rs124 per kg from
mid-November till to date then the blame on stakeholders for
overcharging holds no importance.
In the absence of any
government’s writ, the owner of Muneer Chicken outlets in various areas
took up the rate of live bird and its meat to new heights of Rs230 and
Rs400-430 per kg on Wednesday from Rs210 and Rs360-370 per kg a few days
back.
Other retailers jacked up live bird and its meat
price to Rs220-230 and Rs345-350 per kg from Rs200-210 and Rs300-310 per
kg. In mid-November live bird and its meat rates were selling at Rs135
and Rs190 per kg.
Good quality veal beef (with and
without bones) sell at Rs420 per kg and Rs520-540 per kg. However, big
cow meat is available at Rs380-400 per kg with bones and Rs480-500 per
kg without bones.
General Secretary, Sindh Wholesalers
Poultry Association (SWPA), Kamal Akhtar Siddiqui said the industry as
well as the market traders had suffered losses due to low rates in the
last six months due to which farmers did not go into bird production. As
a result, the supply from the farms is low against high demand
especially from ongoing marriage season.
“Chicken prices
may remain under pressure for more days due to low supply problem,” he
said. In overall chicken sales — the market share of marriage and
commercial (hotels and outdoor dining) is 33 per cent each while the
share of households sale is 34 per cent, he said adding around
700,000-800,000 birds are being daily slaughtered in Karachi alone.
He
said consumers appear to have shown some resistance in their chicken
buying after rising prices but robust demand for ongoing marriage season
had offset depressed sales from households.
It was
observed that those who were procuring one kg bird meat are now lifting
half kg chicken waiting for the price reduction. By compromising on the
quantity, consumers are also seen asking for slaughtering of low weight
bird in order to pay less money.
This is the second time
in the current year that consumers witnessed massive jump in prices when
PPA had initiated two costly media campaigns — one in February
rejecting allegation leveled by All Pakistan Solvent Extractors
Association that soybean meal imported from India and other countries
might not be halal; the other was a recent campaign to counter the
‘negative propaganda’ triggered by social media regarding the use of
hormones and steroids during the various phases of bird production.
However, Kamal showed disassociation from the PPA media campaign.
