ISLAMABAD: The prices of poultry products, including chickens and eggs, have witnessed sharp increase across the country, particularly in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad with live chicken prices touching Rs 200 per kilogram.
The prices of poultry products have increased in the twin cities and the price of live chicken in the retail market reached at Rs 230- 240 per kilo, whereas the eggs were being sold at Rs 100 per dozen, customers complained.
The chicken which was the cheapest source of protein for major portion of the population of the country specially the poor but it was now out of their reach like other sources of protein including beef and mutton.
Commenting on the situation, Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA) Chairman Major ® Ahmed Waseem claimed that severe heat wave persisted for long time in the country which caused the price hike of poultry products including chicken in twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
“High mortality rate in poultry birds in all over the country due to rise in temperature of over 40 degree centigrade in especially in Sindh province caused a gap between demand and supply in all over the country, he said while talking to APP here on Friday.
He expressed the hope that as and when weather gets better in coming days and there were high chances that the gap between demand and supply would reduce, hence resulting in fall of chicken prices in the open market,” he said.
He said the recent price hike in poultry products was temporary and due to less supply and more demand.
Central Chairman PPA said as the farmers are coming back to the industry, the production would increase and problem of demand and supply would be resolved and prices again would become normal.
He further claimed that bad weather condition, energy shortage and rise of poultry medicine prices badly affected the poultry industry in recent years.
