September 27, 2006	Wednesday	Ramazan 3, 1427

KARACHI, Sept 26: On the eve of Ramazan the poultry dealers jacked up prices of live bird by Rs8 to Rs104 per kg from Rs96, suggesting that the government has no control on price movements of this industry.

Currently, chicken sellers are charging Rs170-180 per kg for poultry meat as against Rs165 per kg before Ramazan. On September 1, poultry bird was priced at Rs86 per kg while its meat was selling at Rs150-160 per kg. Poultry is the only item on which the City Government has no check and its rates are fixed on daily basis by two associations – Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA) and Karachi Wholesalers Poultry Association (KWPA) – with a difference of Rs2 to Rs4 per kg respectively.

However, in middle class localities fewer consumers are seen in the poultry shops, high prices could have discouraged them to go for white meat. Besides, the prices of other essential items have also been going up and people usually prefer buying essential items first then purchase white meat.

KWPA Convener of Rate Committee Kamal Akhtar Siddiqui attributed the price hike to very low supplies from the interior Sindh where recent monsoon rains have devastated the poultry farms badly affecting the bird production.

“We are bringing poultry bird from Punjab besides getting some quantities from the interior Sindh,” he said, adding “poultry sales in the markets have been depressed these days”.

Some 250,000 birds are being slaughtered daily in Karachi as compared to 350,000 birds in normal days, he said. Demand for poultry bird will pick up when people start hosting Iftar-cum-dinners after seventh of Ramazan in hotels and in their residences.

Besides, poultry off-take is also slow because of thin hoteling activities and outside dining in the city as people and traders are busy in five- to six-day Taraveeh.

People usually throng the markets for Eid shopping after seven Ramazan when traders open their shops till late night. This is a party time for the hotel and restaurant owners as people usually decide to have some food before leaving their homes after shopping.