Hyderabad: Planning to eat chicken? Know the prices first!

HYDERABAD: Meat lovers are shelling out Rs 50 to Rs 60 more to fulfil their cravings for spiced up chicken curry, kebabs or any dish made out of the meat as price of chicken has increased to Rs 220-230 per kg, which is the highest in the past ten months. 

Until seven-days ago, the skinless chicken was being sold at Rs 160 per kg. Stagnant production, increase in demand from people because of long holidays and elections have been cited as some of the reasons by poultry breeders for the sudden increase. However, the prices of mutton (Rs 550-560 per kg) saw a marginal increase of Rs 10 per kg in the last one week. 

Without speculating whether the prices will increase in the coming days, the poultry breeders and chicken traders said that the prices will anyhow fall when Karthika Masam starts from the second week of November, when scores of people do not eat food made out of meat. 

“Until 10-days ago, one kg of skinless chicken was sold at Rs 160 per kg. It gradually increased by Rs 15 to Rs 20 everyday and reached Rs 225 per kg on Wednesday. With this, the sales have come down,” said M Ganesh, owner of GK Farm Fresh Meat, Srinagar colony. 

On Wednesday, dressed chicken was sold for Rs 190 to Rs 200 per kg. While the prices (for skinless chicken) crossed Rs 200 mark in February, traders said it was never so high this year.  While traders said they do not have any clue for the spike in prices, president of Telangana Poultry Breeders Association  G Ranjith Reddy said, “It has got to do with stagnant production and increase in demand. We expect the demand to increase by 10 to 15 per cent every year. 

However, when compared to previous years, poultry breeders did not increase production. Besides, because of extended Dasara holidays, elections season, demand from people for chicken has increased.” Per month, around four crore kgs of chicken is produced from poultries located in Telangana and 90 per cent is distributed within the State.  

While the hike in prices gives profits for poultry breeders, traders said they continue to get more or less the same profits. “Whether the price is Rs 160 or Rs 200 per kg, we get only Rs 20 profit,” said Md Yonus, owner of Shama Chicken Market.