VISAKHAPATNAM: Chicken prices are going through the roof in the State as it is being sold at a record price of Rs 312 per kg. Prices of chicken have witnessed a sharp rise in the past couple of weeks due to various reasons such as reduction in production, high feed costs and rise in death of the birds with the onset of summer.
Chicken prices were around Rs 228 a kg on May 1 and touched the record price in less than two weeks. On the other hand, prices of vegetables are also rising, bringing hardships to people. Tomato prices are rising and they are being sold at Rs 58 a kg at Rythu Bazars and in the open market the prices were Rs 15-20 more.
In fact, the tomato price was Rs 10 a kg in the open market two weeks ago. Traders attribute the sudden rise in tomato prices to less availability due to damage caused by recent heavy rains. Situation will remain more or less the same till the new crop arrives, they said. They also said most of the tomato produced in Kurnool was being exported to the neighbouring states.
Chicken price, which was Rs 214 in the beginning of the year, was almost stable for two months. There was a sharp increase in prices in March when it touched Rs 280 a kg. Later, in April there was a decline in prices and they were around Rs 225 a kg.
But the prices started climbing from May 1 when it was Rs 228 and registered an increase of Rs 10 a day on average and reached Rs 315 on Friday.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, chicken vendor Madhu at Madhavadhara said the rise in prices of chicken did not bring any cheer for them. He said they did more business in April when the price was around Rs 220 than now.
A buyer, Jagadish, said he has never seen such a rise in chicken prices. He said there was a sharp fall in prices of chicken during the COVID pandemic as people stopped eating non-vegetarian food. However, after the second wave of the pandemic, prices, particularly of chicken, have shot up, he said.
Since there was not much availability of a variety of fish due to the fishing holiday, people are opting for chicken. This might have increased the chicken prices, he observed.