KARACHI, Feb 23: Stakeholders in poultry business have reduced the price of live birds by Rs4 per kg to Rs54 from Rs58 per kg. As a result, the price of poultry meat has declined to Rs85-90 from Rs95-100 per kg earlier.
General Secretary Karachi Wholesalers’ Poultry Association (KWPA), Kamal Akhtar Siddiqui, claimed that the rates have declined because of the selling pressure on farmers who want to clear stocks ahead of any adverse business conditions.
He did not agree that the farmers have slashed the prices after noticing fall in demand of white meat in the market in view of bird flu scare.
“I again say that the demand for chicken is still normal in the market,” he emphasized.
He said that one can check the markets, restaurants, and hotels etc. where consumers are still buying and eating chicken without any fear. It means that the demand for broiler chicken is normal.
Kamal said that many health conscious consumers might have stopped eating chicken after bird flu scare despite aware the fact that “the H591 virus does not exist at all in the country.”
“When the chicken prices fall – the ultimate beneficiary is the lower class and poor people who cannot afford to have costly red meat,” he said.
At a time when mutton is selling at Rs230-250 per kg followed by Rs120-130 per kg of viel (bachia) boneless meat – chicken emerges as an affordable alternative for the poor and lower income people, he said.
Contrary to the claim of KWPA’s general secretary about normal chicken demand, the retailers still say that their sales have been hitting the bottom with each passing day due to looming fear among consumers over the bird flu that hit the neighbouring countries.
Farmers and wholesalers have reduced the price in order to create a demand among the poor and lower income people as well as to offset the low demand for chicken among the health conscious citizens. And by doing this, their daily sales target may remain unaffected.
Some poultry traders said that the price has been decreased keeping in view the demand and supply situation in the markets.
Central Chairman Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA), Raza Mehmood Khursand told Dawn that the price has fallen because of increased supplies and lower demand.
“I think that the people are still afraid of eating chicken because of the reports of bird flu and it will take the market five to 10 days to recover,” he said.
“Overall, the demand of chicken in Pakistan has fallen by 15-20 per cent due to the uncertainty among consumers due to the bird flu scare,” he said by emphasizing again that “so far there is no bird flu virus in Pakistan.”
Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad-Rawalpindi are considered as three main markets for poultry consumption. Situation in Islamabad-Rawalpindi is satisfactory, while rates have dropped in Lahore and Karachi, he said.
The PPA Press and Publication sub committee chairman, Abdul Maroof Siddiqui said that there was a pressure on the farmers to release the birds in the market due to the uncertain market situation which might force the rates plunge phenomenally as had happened in 2004. He added that many retail outlet owners are now selling chicken at discount rates lower than the official rate fixed by the association.
Despite a decline in chicken prices retail food outlets of chicken have not reduced the rates and are selling a quarter ‘tikka’ at Rs 45-50, while broasted chicken price hovers between Rs60-65. In posh areas, a broasted quarter is priced at Rs90.
