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KARACHI: As the prices of many edible items made a history in the last few years, egg, dubbed as the most sought-after item of winter also joined the league, touching a new historical peak of 104 per dozen on Thursday.
Based on the demand and supply gap game as linked by the wholesalers of poultry products, the wholesale price of egg per dozen increased to Rs3,030-3035 per 30 dozens or Rs101 per dozen on Thursday, up by Rs120 per 30 dozens or Rs2,910-2915 per 30 dozens on Wednesday.
Keeping in view of Rs97 per dozen wholesale price on Wednesday, the retailers were charging Rs100 per dozen from customers. After hitting Rs101 per dozen on Thursday in the wholesale market, consumers are now paying Rs104 per dozen at retail markets irrespective of the size and quality of white product.
Egg price on Dec 1 was Rs 93 per dozen. Desi egg price also soared to Rs200 per dozen from 180-190 per dozen.
The poultry stakeholders have also raised the price of live bird to Rs144 per kg from Rs130 on Dec 19 while it was Rs116 per kg on Dec 13.
The live bird demand has dampened after Eidul Azha which fell on November 7. Consumers usually consume Eid slaughtering meat in their deep freezers and refrigerators for at least a month till Ashura.
Smelling sharp increase in demand after the kick start of the marriage season after Ashura, the poultry industry people are now fully cashing the situation.
Like past practice the government has remained least bothered to check the sharp increase in egg price especially and also in live bird, thus giving a free hand to the poultry industry to fix the prices on their own.
Demand of egg usually remains brisk during winter as many parents usually force their children to have at least one or two eggs a day to offset the impact of winter. As most of the schools are now closed for winter vacation some schools are still open and will be closed from next Monday. Demand of egg is set to remain higher in winter and will further go up as schools will reopen from January 2, 2012.
General Secretary Sindh Poultry Wholesalers and Retailers Association Kamal Akhtar Siddiqui attributed the price hike in egg to lower production during winter as against the rising consumption. “Egg price has never crossed over Rs 100 per dozen in country’s history,” Kamal recalled while going through the price data available with him.
In live bird, he said the price has now come to its original position which had dropped due to weakening demand owing to enough stocks of red meat held by consumers. He said around 350,000-400,000 birds are being slaughtered daily in Karachi.
