Chicken Price at its Peak, You’ll Freak!

Eating Chicken at KFC is Finger Lickin’ Good, but buying live chicken is Not Lookin’ Good! Because of the price of chicken live or skinned reaching its peak, You’ll Freak?

Mangaluru: Eating chicken at the moment may not be finger lickin’ good!- for the fact of the rising cost of the chicken at the market and chicken stalls. As in the past, during monsoon time when the prices of vegetable and fish go up, so does the price of chicken meat, which is most opted meat other than fish or vegetable. But with the increase in the price lately, consumers who depended on chicken when fish and vegetable become expensive, are uncomfortable and unhappy with the current trend. Not just home people, restaurant owners are also facing the brunt with the sky-rocketing price of the fowl.

Who does not like a sumptuous chicken meal, except for the unfortunate vegetarians? However for the lovers of non-vegetarian food in the city, the present times may not bring happy tidings, for retail prices of chicken has continued to remain high despite onset of the monsoon. Compared to the price couple of months ago ago, live chicken now costs Rs 145 from Rs 120/125 per Kg ; Skin out between Rs 200-215 from Rs 165 per kg; with skin Rs 175-185 from Rs 140; Tyson brand of chicken live Rs 140 from Rs 120; Tyson feather out-Rs 185-190 from Rs 140 ; while boneless and specific parts cost more.

There are various factors that the chicken dealers blame it on -some say the rise in feed prices has rubbed of on on the retail prices of chicken, others say because of the bad weather etc etc. Feed, notably accounts for nearly 80 per cent of the production cost. Maize and soya prices have hit the roof, adding to the burden. But rates may come down as per the retailers. But speaking to Mangalorean.com, Norbert Crasta, a poultry dealer in Kadri Market said that in some pockets of Mangaluru, prices have been kept artificially high by retailers. ” Some say prices are high because there is no supply, but that’s not true. I think some retailers want to make up for the loss incurred during other times of the year. But the prices will come down soon, there is no need to panic” added Crasta.

One poultry breeder said, “The feed for farm-raised chicken consists mostly of maize and soya, and due to the rise of these two commodities, the chicken prices have been raised”. Regarding increase in price for fish, is due to the short supply due to fishing ban for two months. Price of vegetables going beyond reach is natural during rainy days. But the chicken price going up is something strange this year. Some retailers blame it on the short supply/scarcity of water that hit the district in April and May, and many farms were stopped production during that time. Also it is learnt that lots of chicken is shipped to Kerala during Ramadan time.

In conclusion, Chicken biriyani will burn a larger hole in the pocket in case the hoteliers and roadside tandoor stalls across the city revise their prices. Meat-eaters in the city will have to shell out more for their favourite dishes due to a recent hike in price of broiler chicken. One college student said, ” Earlier, eating non-vegetarian food was almost a daily affair. We used to eat 3-4 eggs per person for breakfast. But now with the increase in the price of eggs, we have switched to poha, oats and cornflakes at our private hostel,”.

However, families in the city say they can not forgo staple products like chicken and eggs. “If there is a rise in petrol price, people do not stop riding vehicles. Similarly, whatever inflation we face, if it is a necessity, we still pay for it,” said a house-wife shopping at a Jimmy’s super market. Another shopper here, a IT professional said, “We eat non-vegetarian food sparingly. It does not affect my family since we spend only Rs 300-Rs 400 for fish and Rs 150 for eggs in a month. Even if the prices of food items have gone up, I earn enough for it to not be a problem. However, I do know people from low income groups have cut down on what they eat and this is not just in the city, but in hinterlands as well. It is a routine thing happening all the time. If we like our food and want to have it, we have to but it, no matter what the price is”.