January 4, 2013

Two weeks ago, Pakistan's chicken prices were available below PKR120 (US$1.23) per kilogramme but now it had gone up to PKR180 (US$1.85) per kilogramme which the middlemen seem to be standing behind fuelling prices.

"The middleman has deprived us of catering to our food needs as he has increased the prices blatantly with the connivance of the district management," said a group of citizens.

"We cannot afford mutton and beef due to their high prices. We were catering to our food needs through chicken meat but its price has gone up too," said Nazir Ahmad, a schoolteacher.

According to citizens, the main reason for increased prices of chicken is that the "middleman fixes its prices on his own and not as per directive of the district price control committee".

The citizens demanded that the district administration maintain checks and balances on chicken prices besides initiating action against the middleman and directing the price control committee to set prices.