THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The price of farm chicken in the capital city has dipped to Rs 65 per kilogram whereas the production cost for local farmers is estimated to be anywhere between Rs 72 and Rs 77 per kilogram. It is the same trend across the state due to overproduction. Interestingly last week, the trade pattern reversed as Kochi sent truckloads of chicken to Tamil Nadu. The farm price in Ernakulam then was Rs 55 per kilogram as against Rs 66 in the neighbouring state.
“Local poultry farmers gamble by increasing production during festivals. They jacked up production aiming for Diwali and therefore the market was flooded with chicken,” said Abdul Jabbar, the secretary of the Poultry Farmers and Traders Association of Kerala. Interestingly, the production cost of farmers also increases during these festivals as hatchlings are sold to them by the Tamil Nadu lobby at a higher rate.
“During Onam, hatchlings were sold at Rs 46 to local farmers though actually it would not have cost more than Rs 19. So unless chicken prices go really high, we do not make a good profit,” a poultry farmer said. In Thiruvananthap-uram, huge poultry farms are abundant in areas like Uchakkada, Panniyodu, Kanjiramkulam and Kakkamoola where there are farmers who rear over 2,000 birds.
While one would assume that Avian flu has impacted chicken consumption, traders say it is just the opposite as chicken was cheaper a week before the flu was reported. “In fact prices increased by '5 after avian flu was reported. The government did a wonderful job in preventing hysteria over avian flu like in previous years,” he added.
As per traders who have diverse businesses, the spending pattern of the population has affected poultry farming which has seen at least a 25 per cent drop in the past two years. “Chicken consumption is not rising as our population has more migrant workers who do not spend a lot on meat. They try to save to send money (back home),” Mr Jabbar said.
