MULTAN, 21: Poultry prices crashed in southern Punjab to Rs77 per kg, about 25 per cent reduction in two weeks, as demand dipped to its new lows.

The traders said that poultry rates were high after Eid-ul-Fitr because of big demand due to the marriage season. The traders are expecting difficult times ahead as prices can fall further before and after Eid-ul-Azha.

The consumers said that the inflated power rates, sky rocketing prices of food items restricted them to purchase the broiler meat available in the retail market at Rs140 per kg.

A consumer Tariq Bahsir said that he was purchasing six to eight kg per week of birds meat for his nine-member family but now after the rapid increase in food prices, he can purchases only three kg.

The number of traders involved in the poultry business said that due to the low production against the high demand on the eve of Eid and onward poultry prices registered the highest ever level in the country.

The poultry prices may decline after Eid-ul-Azha when people will avoid purchasing the broiler meat or beef from the market and will prefer to consume meat of the sacrificial animals.

The supply of poultry from southern Punjab to Balochistan has also dropped to some extent as the traders prefer to get it from the adjoining areas of Sindh at the same rates getting benefits of minimum transportation charges, Abdul Shakoor, a Multan-based poultry trader said.

Traders and retail outlets owners said poultry retail sale and consumption is not gaining momentum as the purchasing power of the consumers has reduced and they are reluctant to use it in their regular meals.

The market sources are of the view that the excessive production of poultry in the winter season, when the birds attain the highest weight as compared with the summer spell, may also lead to cut the rates further.

The stakeholders of the poultry sector, particularly the feed suppliers and farmers are much worried about the rapid slash in the rates and feared that they might suffer losses as its cost of production is about Rs80 per kg of live bird and the market mechanism is forcing them to sell it at Rs77 per kg.

Farooq Ahmed, a poultry feed distributor based at Muzaffargarh said that they were unable to handle the situation as the flocks are attaining the maturity to be marketed and they can not hold them due to their life span of six to seven weeks on an average.