Pakistan poultry prices jacked up amid holy month

 

 

Pakistan's poultry traders were accused of jacking up prices while demand is high in the run-up to Eid ul-Fitr, a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan.

 

Poultry farmers and retailers have further pushed up prices in view of surging demand ahead of Eid ul-Fitr. Poultry were sold at high prices depending on the locality, partly due to the lack of uniformity of quoted prices by the Karachi Wholesale Poultry Association (KWPA) and Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA).

 

The two poultry associations have no influence on their members to sell by the quoted prices, leaving consumers at the mercy of the traders.

 

The PPA quoted live bird rate at PKR152 per kg but did not issue any rate for chicken meat. The KWPA quoted live bird rate at PKR156 per kg and chicken meat at PKR225 per kg.

 

But live bird and chicken meat prices at Empress Market Saddar were PKR158 and PKR266 per kg, respectively, while the rates in other areas ranged from PKR150 to PKR154 per kg.

 

Traders in residential areas were reportedly charging PKR270 to PKR280 per kg for chicken meat.

 

KWPA general secretary Kamal Akhtar Siddqui said the price increases are due to reduced supplies following mortality of many birds in heavy rains on August 31.

 

Traders and farm owners have a habit of pushing up the rates on every religious occasion when demand of birds goes up.