Broiler prices hit the roof

Though inflation for the week ended August 18 stood at a 15-month low (3.94 per cent), the prices of broiler chicken in the domestic market have touched an all-time high.

The panic selling by poultry owners in July-August following a bird flu case in Manipur had led to a shortage, which in turn drove up the prices.

In the last one month, the wholesale market prices of live chicken have jumped by 30 per cent from Rs 50 to Rs 65 a kg, while the retail prices of chicken meat have increased by 35 per cent from Rs 85 to Rs 115 a kg.

"This is the highest-ever rate of broiler chicken in the domestic market. After the news of bird flu outbreak, the fear of loss prompted poultry traders to dump their broilers at every possible rate while the farmers stopped putting chicks in their farms", said Surjit Singh, managing director of Chandigarh-based Sagri Hatcheries.

In July, about 2 lakh birds were culled in Manipur following confirmation of the bird flu case.

"There has been a 15-20 per cent dip in broiler production, as the industry had incurred huge losses owing to bird flu last year. Apprehensions of a similar outbreak following the Manipur incident prompted the industry to check production", said A K Rajput, executive officer of Suguna Poultry.

However, the industry expects prices to come down in a month or so.

"With the chicken meat prices touching Rs 115 a kg, the gap between chicken and mutton (Rs 160 per kg) has narrowed. If the prices move up further, there may be a shift in consumption from chicken to mutton. Therefore, we do not expect such high prices to sustain for long", said Singh.

Poultry chicken has a weightage of 0.45163 per cent in the wholesale price index-based inflation.