WARANGAL: Retailers have hiked the prices of country hen, goats, and sheep, anticipating high demand in the market ahead of Dasara in Warangal district.
Prices have surged not only in major towns and mandals but also in the cities of Hanamkonda, Warangal, and Kazipet, with rates increasing by up to 50% compared to usual prices.
N. Sudhakar, a resident of Kumarpally in Hanamkonda, told Deccan Chronicle that the price of 1 kg of country hen, usually around Rs 600, has now jumped to between Rs 750 and Rs 900.
Pasha, a chicken centre owner, mentioned that prices of country hens typically rise before the Dasara and Sankranti festivals. He explained that wholesalers increase their rates, prompting retailers like him to sell at slightly higher prices.
Miryalakar Shivaji, a mutton shop owner, shared that a 10 kg sheep, which would normally cost Rs 8,000 to Rs 9,000, now costs between Rs 12,000 and Rs 15,000.
In response to rising prices driven by middlemen, people are now approaching farmers and wholesale merchants directly, particularly at weekly markets, to make their purchases.
With prices reaching sky-high levels ahead of Dasara, miscreants stole 30 goats from the shed of Kemidi Lakshmaiah in Beerappa Gadda, Jangaon district, on Wednesday night.
In a separate incident, thieves stole liquor bottles worth Rs 15,000 from Yellammathalli Wine Shop at midnight on Wednesday in Lingannapet village, Gambhiraopet mandal, in Rajanna Sircilla district.
