June 26, 2023

Consumer protection society in Jordan calls for poultry price controls

The National Society of Consumer Protection (NSCP) in Jordan has called on the government to implement a price ceiling for chicken products, following complaints from consumers reporting a significant increase in the prices of poultry products, The Jordan Times reported.

Mohammad Obeidat, president of NSCP, said that the current poultry prices are exaggerated and do not align with the production costs in the poultry industry during this period.

According to the complaints received by NSCP, plucked chicken is currently being sold for JOD 1.70 (~US$2.40; JOD 1 = US$1.41) to JOD 1.90 (~US$2.68) per kg, with prices reaching JOD 2 (~US$2.82) in some areas within the capital. The price of fresh chicken has exceeded JOD 2.50 (~US$3.52) per kg.

Obeidat warned that if prices remain high, the NSCP will stage a boycott. He emphasised the need for increased control and supervision over markets to prevent any price manipulation.

Yousef Al Shamali, Jordan's Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply and Minister of Labour, conducted visits to various markets to assess the availability and prices of poultry products.

Shamali said that the ministry's investigations revealed that the price increase was a result of the death of a large quantity of chickens due to fluctuating weather conditions.

Mahmoud Oran, Director-General of the Jordanian Farmers Union, attributed the surge in poultry prices to the relative absence of smallholder poultry producers. Oran explained that weather fluctuations disproportionately affect small-scale farmers who house their poultry in open hangars, while large farms usually keep their poultry in closed spaces. Additionally, weather challenges, rising fodder prices, and mounting debts have led to the gradual disappearance of small farms, allowing a small number of corporate farms to dominate the market and control prices, Oran said.

Oran also said that implementing price ceilings alone is not enough to regulate the market, as many sellers have found ways to circumvent the regulations.

-      The Jordan Times