KARACHI, Oct 12: As Eid is just a day away, meat-sellers are having a field day and have increased prices to take an advantage of the increase in the demand for red and white meat.

As chicken dealers pushed up the price of broiler (live bird) by Rs8 per kg during the last 12 days, the white meat prices rose by Rs20 to 30 a kg. Similarly, red meat sellers have made an increase of Rs10 to 20 a kg.

Beef and mutton sellers had announced a discount of Rs10 on per kg sale at the start of Ramazan, but a random market survey revealed that instead of offering the discount, they were demanding higher rates.

Many consumers complained about sale of poor quality meat on Friday in many areas. Meat merchants had stocked the quality product on Friday, and instead sold substandard meat to make windfall profit on Saturday, a day before eid.

Poultry traders enjoyed a free-hand during Ramazan as city government did not seek a relief from them in the month.

Poultry traders usually push up rates in the last days of Ramazan in view of increase in demand ahead of the Eid.

Meat Merchants Welfare Association (MMWA) had announced the discounted price of mutton at Rs240 and Rs250 per kg depending on the quality.

Currently, meat merchants are charging Rs150 to 160 a kg for meat (with bones) as against its control rate of Rs135-145. Mutton sellers are demanding Rs260 a kg, while in some areas, it is still being sold at Rs270 a kg despite its control rate of Rs240 and Rs250.

The general secretary of the MMWA, Iqbal Qureishi, tried to defend its members, and claimed that meat was sold at the official discounted rate in “75 per cent of the areas of Karachi during Ramazan.”

To a query as to why meat merchants were out to cash in on the situation, especially in the last days of Ramazan, he said meat merchants were paying Rs500 more on goat and Rs1,000-2,000 on cow.

He said that the city government had actually forced meat merchants to announce a discount on retail prices despite the fact that it was not possible for them. He said the government is yet to check smuggling of animals.

Coming to poultry items, poultry live bird (broiler) was available at Rs84 a kg on Oct 1 while its meat was being sold at Rs130. Now the live bird is priced at Rs92 a kg while its meat is being sold at Rs150 to 160 a kg.

The General Secretary of Karachi Wholesalers’ Poultry Association (KWPA), Kamal Akhtar Siddiqui, said at present demand had increased tremendously as its thin demand some 20 to 25 days back.

He said currently, 1.2 million birds are being slaughtered in Karachi for the last three days, as compared with 400,000 per day in normal days.