SALEM: Broiler chicken price has surged over the past month, with the live bird rate rising by Rs 50 per kg. This has pushed retail chicken price to around Rs 300 per kg in several markets. Poultry industry representatives attribute the sharp increase to heavy bird mortality caused by the extreme summer heat, which reduced supply even as demand remained steady.
The Broiler Coordination Committee (BCC) in Palladam, which fixes the daily live bird price based on market conditions, said the rate has climbed from around Rs 100 per kg in June to nearly Rs 150 per kg by mid-July.
BCC secretary K Swathi Kannan said heat stress is the primary reason for the spike.”Mortality among birds is usually higher during summer, but this year the losses due to heat are significantly higher than in previous years. This reduced supply while local demand remained steady, leading to the increase in prices,” he said.
“Under normal conditions, about 1,000 birds out of every 10,000 may die due to disease, weaker immunity or weather-related factors. This summer, heat stress alone claimed nearly 2,000 birds,” said Coimbatore-based broiler farmer R Nandakumar. He added that most losses occurred during the early stages of rearing, while reduced chick production.
Kannan explained that the impact of the summer heat is being felt now because the birds entering the market in July are mostly hatched during the peak summer months. Since broiler chickens take around 40 days to reach the market weight, losses among chicks and growing birds during the hot spell have translated into lower arrivals now.