The demand for poultry meat has grown in Lahore as soybean shipments have been stuck at ports, driving the price of meat to an alarmingly high of Rs509 per kg. According to reports in the local media, the cost of chicken meat has increased significantly in recent days, rising by Rs60 per kg, while the cost of eggs has increased to Rs274 per dozen. Concerned residents criticized the district government for doing nothing to stop overcharging and leaving customers at the mercy of sellers in the midst of the sharp increase. The price of chicken meat had previously ranged between Rs370 and Rs400, but the recent wave of inflation and the lack of soybeans have brought the poultry industry to the verge of collapse. Last month, a federal cabinet meeting led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif discussed the soybean shipments stuck at the Karachi ports and mulled strategies to counter the situation. Reports suggest that officials decided to form a committee under the convenorship of the Minister for National Food Security and Research to give recommendations to the cabinet.