Poultry price hits new peak as demand soars ahead of Eid.

Byline: Aamir Shafaat Khan

KARACHI -- The price of poultry live bird and its meat has further increased to Rs260 and Rs420-440 per kg from Rs230-240 and Rs350-400 per kg respectively as stakeholders cash in on the situation of rising demand ahead of Eidul Fitr amid short supply from poultry farms.

The price of poultry products has surged by over Rs100 over the past 10 days while the price control authority has failed to take strict action against the market players for fleecing consumers.

With no official price list display at shops, the commissioner of Karachi's official price of live bird and its meat has been unchanged at Rs138 and Rs214 per kg for the last 10 days.

The price of boneless has been intact at Rs600 per kg which was selling at Rs500 last week.

Retailers blamed short supply of birds amid high prices from farms against high demand of birds as buyers were purchasing chicken in bulk quantities prior to Eid despite rising price trend.

Spokesperson of the Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA), southern zone, Abdul Maroof Siddiqui said the farm rate of live bird was Rs216 and retail rates of live bird and its meat were Rs232 and Rs394 per kg respectively.

He said retailers were minting extra money by cashing in on high demand and low supply situation.

Mr Siddiqui said around 450,000 birds were being slaughtered daily in Karachi as compared to 900,000 birds a day last year.

He said people were purchasing poultry products in higher volumes...