Chicken gets dearer while year-end festivity grips Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: Chicken prices are set to hover around Rs 210 per kg and could rise further due to the festive season of Christmas and deaths of chicks due to sudden cold wave, triggered by Cyclone Phethai.

“The average chicken price will dip only in February 2019. There is an increase in chicken consumption due to celebrations lined up this month and hence, a rise in market demand. Christmas and New Year’s festivities have seen a rise in demand for chicken and thus, prices have increased,” said S Balasubramanian, general manager of Venkateshwara Hatcheries. “The Kanuma festival (third day of Sankranti), which falls on January 16 also shares the calendar with Christmas and New Year,” said G Ranjith Reddy, president, Telangana Poultry Breeders Association.



Sources in the breeders’ association and some independent poultry breeders across the city added that several hatcheries have also reported chicken deaths. An entrepreneur who owns multiple hatcheries and units manufacturing poultry equipment said that increased chicken price is also due to polls and dip in temperature.

“There was a high demand of chicken during polls and the market was also prepared for it, but now after the recent cyclone, there has been a drastic temperature dip. So mortality of birds has increased. To protect the birds, breeders use electric brooders, gas brooders and some of them burn coal to keep them warm and alive. This has again increased the maintenance cost, which impacts the retail chicken price,” said the entrepreneur.

“Despite increased prices this month, chicken is still one of the cheapest forms of protein, so people choose chicken over goat or seafood,” said Subodh, a whole sale dealer in Banjara Hills Road number 12.