LAHORE, Aug 2: The price of chicken meat remained as high as Rs125 per kilogram, though there was ample poultry supply to the city on Wednesday.

According to reports from Tollinton market, the only place in the city where chicken is auctioned in the morning and the price is fixed, the city received some 20 per cent more chicken than its daily consumption of around 600,000 kg.

The price is daily fixed at the market under the supervision of officials of the City District Government Lahore and the Pakistan Poultry Association. Live (unslaughtered) chicken was sold at Rs81 per kilogram on Wednesday morning. According to live chicken and meat ratio, the price was worked out to be between Rs120 and Rs125 per kilogram for the retailers.

The market managers claimed that the high price was a temporary phenomenon triggered by the recent bird flu scare which slashed the prices by over 50 per cent and drove over 30 per cent farmers out of business. Since the price had gone high and profits swelled, the farmers were now returning to business, they said, adding the supply and price position too would improve soon.