November 19, 2008

Poultry meat prices in Pakistan have increased by Rs 7 per kg on Monday (November 17, 2008) after a recent fall.

Retailers now sell broiler meat at Rs 125-130 per kg but the market committee under the Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA) plans to further increase the price to Rs 150 per kg.

PPA Central Chairman Abdul Basit said the move is meant to cover farmers' production cost, and that the committee fixes chicken prices daily in accordance to supply and demand.

Poultry prices fell to Rs 100 per kg on November 1 due to high supply but low demand. The winter wedding season has since moved in, boosting demand and in turn, jacks up prices.

However, egg prices remained the same at Rs 59-60 per dozen.

Basit said poultry farmers were still selling chicken meat by at least Rs 20 per kg less than the production costs. Increases in feed prices, a 15 percent levy on electricity bills and a refusal from the State Bank to waive off 35 percent LC margin on the import of raw materials are hurting the domestic poultry industry, he said.

Basit said the government should implement measures to help the poultry industry that produces 1 billion broilers and 12 billion eggs per year. Basit said the government could overcome financial difficulties by promoting poultry farming and increasing exports of poultry products.

The daily consumption of chicken meat is 3 million kg or 40 percent of total daily meat consumption in Pakistan, according to Basit.