KARACHI: While the prices of live bird, poultry meat and mutton have been increased after the outbreak of the lumpy skin disease in cows, the fourth meeting between the city administration and meat sellers on Wednesday remained inconclusive and the representatives of wholesalers and retailers were given one more day to reach a consensus on prices.

Official sources told Dawn that the representatives of meat and chicken merchants, including the Pakistan Poultry Association, did not agree with the prices proposed by the deputy commissioners of the seven districts of Karachi and Bureau of Supply and Prices (BSP) and sought more time from Karachi Commissioner Muhammad Iqbal Memon, who chaired the meeting to determine the prices.

They said that the commissioner asked them to submit their recommendations / proposals by Friday (tomorrow).

Meeting held to control prices remains inconclusive

The DCs and BSP, who were asked by the commissioner to submit their proposals on prices in the last meeting, proposed the per kilogram price of mutton at Rs1,128 and chicken meat at Rs340.

They told the meeting participants that at present chicken meat with bones was being sold in different parts of the city at Rs500 and mutton at the price ranging from Rs1,400 to Rs2,000.

Consumer Rights Protection Council of Pakistan chairman Shakeel Baig and Consumers Eye chairman Umer Ghauri endorsed the prices proposed by the DCs and the BSP.

They said that the city administration for the first time had done a detailed homework on prices of the two commodities.

The commissioner said that the city administration did not want any business to be adversely affected, but such high prices of chicken meat and mutton was injustice to people.

He asked the stakeholders to submit their objections, if any, so that the prices of essential commodities could be finalised.

The sources said that the meeting continued for three hours with commissioner telling the stakeholders that the city administration did not want to take any unilateral decision in this regard.

Earlier in the first week of February, live bird was available at Rs190-210 per kg while the meat was sold at Rs350-380. However, the rate of per kg meat crossed the Rs500 mark in Karachi in the month of March as the city administration failed to enforce the official price list.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2022