Chicken prices soar all over Telangana

Hyderabad/Visakhapatnam: With Christmas round the corner, the chicken prices are touching a new high in many parts of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

The skinless chicken has shot up to Rs 205 from Rs 120 about ten days back, according to Ahmed of a major chicken centre in Hyderabad. The bird costs Rs 120 in retail markets. D Sudhakar, national executive member, National Egg Coordination Committee (NECC) said that each year, during this period the prices generally go up.

However unlike previous year, this phenomenon has been delayed. One of the reasons is climatic conditions. For the last six months, the farmers were forced to sell their stocks for Rs 35 – Rs 40, while it should have been at least Rs 70.

Referring to the sudden spurt in chicken prices, Telangana State Poultry Federation (TSPF) president Errabelli Pradeep Rao in Warangal said: Usually, the price of poultry products increases during the peak winter. Due to steep rise in feed prices, it’s been a tough time for the industry.

The poultries are facing a loss of Rs 10 per each bird, he said, referring to the 10 per cent increase in feed prices as against 2 per cent increase in chicken prices this year. Rao said that they were forced to dispose breeder birds within 57 weeks instead of selling them after 72 weeks.

In Nizamabad, chicken are being sold at Rs 100 to Rs 120 but in last fifteen days there has been sudden hike in chicken rates. Apart from Chicken the egg rates have also increased in Nizamabad market. One month back the retail price of egg was Rs 4.50 but now they are selling dozen eggs at Rs 56 to 57 rupees.

The white meat, which was sold at Rs 140 or less per kg last Sunday in Visakhapatnam, shot up to Rs 200 a kg on Wednesday. It is likely to touch Rs 250 or more on the New Year eve, remain stable for Sankranthi, traders said. Industry sources said that the market was dull for last two three months due to Kartikamasam and Ayyappa season. Now, the holy season is over and people are seen flocking the meat and chicken markets.

However, the prices of fresh water fish, sea foods and mutton remained static. Market sources said the prices would come down only after the Sankranthi festival in mid-February as the temperature would shoot up by then.

The poultry traders said dressed chicken is now being sold for Rs190 per kg, skinless chicken Rs 200 per kg and boneless chicken Rs 230 at the retail markets in the state. The live bird is sold at Rs120 to Rs140 per kg depending on the size. Citing the other reasons, traders said it was a result of cutting down supply from the poultry farms due to escalating cost of inputs and increased consumption of the chicken in neighbouring states Odisha and Chhattisgarh due to the cold weather conditions prevailing there.

The monthly consumption of the broiler chicken is now around 10 lakh kg in Visakhapatnam while it was 8 lakh kg last month. Poultry farmers supplied the live bird at Rs 90, while it was sold to the customers at Rs 120 to Rs 140. Now the producers have increased their price to Rs 120, the traders said.

P Subba Rao, who runs biggest retail unit in MVP Colony in Vizag city, said chicken was cheaper than dal but it overtook the dal. He said small hotels, push cart vendors and fast food joints would feel the pinch and they would subsequently increase the prices of chicken related dishes.