Chicken prices go through roof in Telangana

Hyderabad: Against the normal trend of chicken prices being steady during November and December, a kilogram of chicken sky-rocketed to Rs 210 as against Rs 150-160 until recently.

Chicken traders say that the prices have gone up for the past three days. They believe that they will go up further. They revealed that that in fact chicken prices crossed Rs 280 per kg last month.

Such a phenomenon is normally experienced during Dassehra but it ease slowly after the festival. The meat consumption would be less in November, December and in the auspicious seasons of ‘Karthika’ and ‘Ayyappa’the prices come down because of the decline in demand.

The chicken traders  believe that the prices of chicken during Sankranti (December and January) would go up even higher if the current is any indication.

The hatcheries put the blame on wholesale traders for unusual increase in prices. “The poultry farmers are rearing chicken braving many odds, but the wholesale dealers have been increasing prices according to their will and wish,” one of them said.

The poultry owners sell each bird at Rs 88. The prices of chicken double as the bird reaches chicken center, burning a hole in the pockets of common man.

They also revealed that there is no government machinery to control chicken prices.

Each bird weighs up to 1.5 to 2 kg, which means, the chicken centers are buying poultry bird for Rs 40 a kg. The wholesale traders sell each bird at Rs 150-170 a kg, while the retailers pass on chicken to consumers at Rs 210 a kg. Compared to other states, consumption of chicken is high at 6 lakh birds a day in Telangana.