Shortage sees chicken prices peak

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Trivandrumites are used to regular notices in the city’s Arabian restaurants that inform that prices of chicken dishes like Shawai and Alfaham are higher than what is listed on the menu. This Ramzan, as the chicken price hits a peak of up to Rs 140 per kg, the price of dressed chicken hit around Rs 200 after taxes in the open market.

The prices will come down only by Karkidakom but will not fall by more than Rs 70, predict experts. During Ramzan, the faithful increasingly use chicken for snacks and dinner leading to an overall increase in consumption. The reduced availability of chicken caused by mortality of up to 20 per cent in Tamil Nadu in the previous months has boosted the shortage.

Added to this, many local farmers stopped farming as the Tamil Nadu lobby had broken their trade by bringing down chicken prices to around Rs 70 - Rs 80 during March, this year.  When questioned about too much capsicum and onion inside a meat roll, a Vazhuthacaud-based baker blamed it on high chicken prices.

“Yes, we do receive chicken at a lower price but our rolls still cost the same as it did in March. We hope to solve the issue soon,” said the store manager. Abdul Jabbar, the secretary of the Poultry Farmers and Traders Association of Kerala, said that the chicken shortage was intensified by the closure of many farms in Bangalore.