Daily Times

KARACHI: The prices of poultry chicken have rose from around Rs. 240 to Rs 380 per kilogram in Karachi just within last one week as the government fails to implement official rates, Daily Times learnt on Monday.

The city government has started raiding the markets to enforce the shopkeeper to sale chicken meat at government rate.

According to experts, with onset of early summer this year and intense heat in Karachi for past one week, large number broiler chicken in the poultry farms near Karachi died, due to which the farm owners, to balance their lose, raised the prices.

Farm owners confirmed that they are raising prices after the chicken died due to heat. “WE have no other option than to raise prices, as recent intensive heat in Karachi and its surrounding areas caused the death of large number of chicken at our farms,” said senior vice chairman, Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA) and owner of Zain poultry farm, Rana Rauf Anwar. He went on to justify that in January, there were over production on the farms, due to which prices were dropped and to get that lose of January sale and also due to the death of large number of farm birds, the farm owners have raised the prices. “Now, the supply is short while the demands is high therefore the cost is increasing” he added.

Due to the price rise, the number of the customers has also reduced drastically, said a shopkeeper at Empress Market. However, he claimed that they are selling the chicken meat on the government rate.

While, officials of City government Karachi are conducting raids to ensure the prices on government rates and also, according to a spokesperson of Karachi Commissioner Office, Nadeem, the officials have fined Rs. 5000 to Rs. 10,000 from those shopkeepers selling the chicken meat on higher price.