KARACHI: Amid already tough economic conditions, consumers received another crippling blow from poultry stakeholders who pushed up the prices of live bird and its meat by Rs100 per kg within a week.

Dealers were seen demanding Rs480-490 per kg for a live bird as compared to Rs400 per kg of the last week’s rate while the meat was hovering between Rs780-800 per kg against the earlier rate of Rs680 in the metropolis.

Currently, the boneless chicken is selling at Rs1,100-1,150 per kilo.

General secretary of the Sindh Poultry Wholesalers Association Kamal Akhtar Siddiqui said the wholesale rates were increased by Rs100 in the last one week.

Currently live bird wholesale rate is Rs440 per kg and maintaining the price at retail levels is the responsibility of the city government.

Rs100 per kg increased despite cut in fuel price

The association official said that poultry sector stakeholders in February 2023 had warned of a crisis in coming months due to various issues in import of soya bean meal, a main ingredient in making poultry feed.

“The markets are facing a 40 per cent drop in supply of poultry products,” he said, adding that transporters had also become busy in transporting sacrificial animals instead of other products.

When asked that poultry prices had been raised despite Rs35 per litre drop in diesel rates, Mr Kamal claimed that transporters had not slashed the transportation charges and instead they were demanding Rs100,000 for carrying poultry birds from Punjab to Karachi as against the earlier fare of Rs65,000 two weeks ago.

Despite the steep rise in poultry rates, the association’s representative claimed that the prices were still low when compared with red meat.

Veal meat (with and without bones) is selling at Rs950 and Rs1,100 per kg while mutton ranges between Rs1,800-2,200 depending on the areas.

Meeting on loose milk price

As the price of loose milk surged by Rs10 per litre to Rs220 a litre a couple of days ago, the commissioner of Karachi has invited milk stakeholders and various government departments for a meeting on June 7 (today) regarding review/determination and fixing of the fresh milk price.

Consumers, however, believe that this is another face saving measure by the city administration which has always failed in implement its notified rates.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2023