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High chicken prices force consumers to depend more on eggs and fish
The recent hike by Rs.30 of a kilo of chicken has ruffled quite a few feathers particularly of housewives and these engaged in the food business.
According to the data from the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) the consumption of meat among the people in the country is 11,000 metric tons per month and the demand for chicken has been rising rapidly when compared to other kinds of meat.
Himali Ekanyake, who has a family of four and usually purchases at least five to six kilos of chicken for a month, has now planned to settle for three kilos and resort more to eggs after the price of chicken was increased in the retail market.
“Children prefer chicken to any other meat for its taste and being easy to eat. There are times they eat only the chicken without rice. But this price increase has left me with fewer options as fresh fish, canned fish and mutton are expensive,” she said.
Another housewife Kanthi Perera said as both her children are employed it is easy for her to prepare chicken early in the morning but now she will be replacing it with eggs.
Ruffling a few feathers: Wholesale poultry
The price increase was announced by the CAA on October 13 after poultry farmers urged the Ministry of Trade to go for a hike of at least a minimum of Rs. 60, said a spokesman of the Ministry who wished to remain anonymous.
A kilo of chicken now costs around Rs. 380 in retail markets.
According to All Island Poultry Association President Dr. D.P.Wanasinghe, poultry farmers have been pressing the CAA for a hike of about Rs.80 since January as the cost of the feed which is being imported at a rate of US $ 900 per metric ton had increased.
“The CAA has been turning down our proposal from the time we have been raising the issue. Farmers were not able to make sufficient profits with the initial production costs running high,” he added.
A leading poultry farming factory offficial said it is the feed, basically which is eating up all the profits. To raise a healthy chicken it is the feed that is essential so when the basic feed cost is high the farmers were pushed into a situation to increase the prices.
The wholesale traders in the country who mainly cater to the food stalls and medium scale restaurants are coping with the losses due to the price rise allowed to the poultry farmers. Lafaik Ahamed, a trader in the Pettah said already the market is facing a loss while the recent drought decreased the quantity of chicken usually produced.
He said processed meat sold as chicken parts and supplied by the large scale poultry farms have only sent the prices higher.
The retail traders on the other hand are on the verge of increasing their prices but do not want to lose their customers. He said if the wholesale dealers raise prices, the impact is going to be huge sending the prices of food items prepared with chicken and served at hotels skyrocketing.
One of the other traders in the vicinity however warned that “if we keep on posting losses we have to increase the prices.” The increase is expected soon as the traders are already not making enough profits, he added. The food stalls in the country are yet to feel the impact as the wholesale traders from whom they procure the meat have not yet increased prices.
Chandran Kumar, a food stall owner in Colombo 2 who usually sells rice packets with chicken said as there have been several price hikes this increase will lead to losing of customers.
He said if the wholesale prices are going to be raised then the price increase of the food items with chicken as an item is going to shoot up. Another food stall owner in Wijerama, Nugegoda said he will wait for the end of this month and if there are losses he would go for an increase.
Harshana Jayasuriya, a consumer who usually gets his food from a food stall said he will soon start relying on fish as some of the varieties of sea food are cheaper than chicken.
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