AMMAN: Jordanians started preparing for Ramadan this week, causing a “remarkable” increase in demand for poultry products and grocery items, according to sector insiders.
The demand for poultry products, especially chicken, increased by 40 per cent in the past few days, with sales increasing from 500 to 700 tonnes per day, Abdul Shakour Jamjoum, president of the Jordanian Poultry Producers Union, told The Jordan Times on Monday.
“The demand increases significantly in the three days before Ramadan and the first three days of the month as consumers fear that merchants might manipulate prices, so they rush to buy and store large amounts of meat,” Jamjoum said. Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, when Muslims abstain from food and drink from dawn to sunset, is scheduled to start on Wednesday or Thursday depending on the sighting of the crescent moon.
Food and beverage consumption rises considerably during the fasting month due to a change in eating patterns.However, the rise in demand harms consumers as it pushes up prices.
“A single kilogramme of live chicken was offered for JD1.5 a few days ago, while today [Monday] it stood at JD1.65,” Jamjoum added, noting that people who stock up on commodities negatively affect “moderate” consumers and the entire sector.
