lahore
The price of poultry meat on Wednesday has dropped to Rs160 per kg- about 25 per cent reduction in one month- as demand dipped to its new lows due to political uncertainty in the country despite marriage season.
According to market sources, the rate of broiler’s farm rate has dipped to lowest level of Rs95 per kg in one month after the Eidul Fitr, the season of marriages and festivities when demand of chicken meat usually remains at its peak.
They said that major demand of poultry products is usually from commercial side, which have decreased almost by 25-30 per cent, as the entertainment gatherings and functions are not being held due to noisy atmosphere on political front.
The poultry meat rate has decreased by Rs72 per kg to Rs160 at retail level from Rs232 in one moth.
Pakistan Poultry Association North Zone chairman Raza Khursand said that presently the broiler’s cost is about Rs135-140 per kg while its rate has crashed to Rs95 per kg, causing a loss of Rs45 per kg to the poultry farmers.
He said that around 3 million birds are produced on daily basis across the country while around one million broilers are supplied to Lahore daily. A difference of just 5 per cent increase or decrease in supply or demand fluctuate the rates of poultry products. But presently, 25 to 30 percent reduction in demand has been witnessed, leading to a hefty drop in prices of chicken, he added.  
He said that usually poultry rates are high after Eid-ul-Fitr because of soaring demand due to marriage season. But the uncertain atmosphere on political front the activities of recreation and entertainment have reduced considerably, leading to limited consumption of poultry meat.
The public, instead of going out in the evening for hoteling and dining, have started to prefer to sit near the TV screen to find out the result of deadline given by PAT chairman Dr. Tahirul Qadri.
Khursand said that the major consumption of poultry meat is made in marriage functions which are also not being held owing to sit-ins in Islamabad.
PPA former chairman Abdul Basit said that poultry retail sale and consumption is not gaining momentum as the festivity of the urban areas have been halted due to politics of protests in the country.
The stakeholders of the poultry sector, particularly the feed suppliers and farmers are much worried about the rapid slash in the rates and feared that they might suffer millions of rupees loss as cost of production is about Rs140 per kilo of live bird and the market mechanism is forcing them to sell it at Rs95 per kilo, he added.
Farmers said that they were unable to handle the situation as the flocks are attaining the maturity to be marketed and they cannot hold them due to their life span of six to seven weeks on an average.