January 3, 2013

Rwanda's chicken prices up 40% on high demand

Due to increased demand, poultry prices in Rwanda soared by at least 40% during the festive season.

Justin Mbonimana, a trader in Kibungo market said that chicken is a common delicacy during this time, adding that this is the most expensive poultry meat in the marketplace.

"We have other types of poultry meat like turkey, duck, etc., but chicken prices remain the highest," he said.

This year has not been any different with prices having risen from RWF1,500 (US$2.40) a kilogramme to RWF2,000 (US$3.20). Mbonimana further noted that demand for poultry meat was still high, despite the price hike.

"Chicken dealers know the trend of events and actually target this festive season....they know when the demand goes high. Astonishingly, the high price of chicken has not kept away the buyers.

"In fact there is scarcity of chicken in the market as the meat has already sold out. This is the time when chicken dealers make a lot of money," he said.

Immaculate Mukamulisa, a nurse in a local hospital, however, complained that traders usually cheat clients during the festive season. He urged government to control poultry prices, noting that they tend to skyrocket during the festive period.

"You know with chicken, the price depends on the weight. The heavier it is, the higher the price...but traders do not use weighing scales in local markets, we only estimate the weight by lifting it up," he said.