ISLAMABAD, Sept 4: The claims of heavy losses due to the floods have opened another window of opportunity for the poultry industry ahead of Eidul Fitr, as chicken prices are set to reach Rs150 per kilogramme for live bird in the coming days.

The poultry retailers are forewarning their customers that supplies are short and the demand is increasing as Ramazan ends.“The Eid demand is up to 40 per cent higher compared to normal times which start in the last three days of Ramazan and going up to the whole week after Eid,” said a chicken seller in the Commercial Market of Rawalpindi. He said the demand was high during Eidul Fitr compared to Eidul Azha when the sacrificial meat dominated the cuisines.

The live chicken prices have witnessed a sharp increase of Rs18 per kilogramme during the last three days to reach over Rs143 per kg.

The industry players say the floods have damaged a large number of poultry farms whereas at the same time the Eid demand has arrived.

Chairman Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA) Dr Mohammad Aslam said almost 6,000 poultry farms had suffered flooding across the country. He said the industry incurred huge losses in Nowshera, Charsadda, interior Sindh and Multan.

Apart from the damage to the flocks, the industry players say, the prices are increasing due to high input cost.

Basher Bhatti, the secretary PPA, said the input cost had increased by almost 40 per cent in one year which included electricity and feed prices.

“The worst has happened after the recent floods as the prices of maize and low quality rice have increased significantly,” he said, adding “maize was Rs600 per 40 kg last year but now it is selling at Rs1,050 per 40 kg.”

The poultry feed is made from maize, wheat, soybean husk, broken rice and sunflower, fishmeal and blood meal.

Ideally, a bag of 50-kg poultry feed contains 20-25 kgs of maize along with other ingredients and the feed mills have increased the price by Rs200 per bag to around Rs1,100.

However, the claims of PPA are challenged by the consumers who say that all these lame excuses are being made to fleece the citizens.

“We have seen so many footages of almost all the areas devastated by floods but nowhere did we find the floating carcass of chickens,” said Mr Azra Shah to a shopkeeper in Aabpara market. “The point is where did the bodies of around one million chickens go, or they are not telling the truth.”

According to the poultry association, the chicken consumption in the country was around 11.5 million birds per week.

However, Dr Aslam said the supply and demand position would be balanced after Eid and the prices would gradually decline.