Broiler chicken prices plunge as sales to Kerala, K’taka dip

Coimbatore: Broiler chicken prices have come down anywhere between Rs 40 to Rs 60 per kg in the district as sales have been down since June-end. Broiler chicken farms too have slashed the bird prices by more than 20%.
Broiler chicken farms attributed the dip in prices to multiple factors such as drop in movement of birds to Kerala due to heavy rain, lower sales to Karnataka due to festival season and lifting of fishing ban in Tamil Nadu. They said the onset of cool weather in the district was causing birds to gain weight faster, leading to an increase in production and supply.
Broiler chicken shop owners said they were forced to slash prices of the meat. “Chicken price was around Rs 200 per kg till June third week. By June last week, sales began to drop with a lot of people opting for fish as the trawling ban was lifted,” said Lingam A of Sai Pradeepa Chicken in Nallampalayam. “So, we had to bring down prices to Rs 140 per kg. The sales have plunged to new lows in the past two weeks. Birds are gaining weight soon and becoming almost unsaleable. So, we have reduced the prices by Rs 40 per kg.”
Broiler chicken farms in Palladam said while the sales have come down, production has increased. “At the farmgate, bird movement to Kerala and Karnataka has almost become nil due to rain and an auspicious festival in Karnataka just before Aadi begins,” said Saadhai Kannan, president of Broiler Chicken Farmers’ Association. He said in cooler weather the birds would gain weight faster. “Birds that become 2kg in 45 days now gain 2kg in 40 days. We are sending birds meant to Kerala and Karnataka to the district. So, we decided to reduce the farmgate prices of live chicken to Rs 78 per kg from Rs 100.”
The households, which primarily consume chicken, said quality of the meat seemed to have come down. “Chicken prices have come down in a big way, but the meat is taking too long to cook and is also extremely chewy,” said Harshitha V, a Race Course-based homemaker.