Heat roasts poultry farms, consumers left clucking over chicken price rise

Retailers in Hyderabad are attributing the recent surge in chicken prices to extreme heatwave conditions in the region

Retailers in the city are attributing the recent surge in chicken prices to extreme heatwave conditions in the region. The per kilogram price of chicken in the city has crossed the ₹300-mark.

As temperatures touch record high, poultry farms are struggling to maintain optimal conditions for raising chicken, leading to lower production and a subsequent rise in prices. Retailers says the ongoing wedding season is also one of the reasons for the price surge.

The price surge is an annual trend, but this year’s increase is a wee bit sharper. A kilogram of chicken, which used to cost ₹230-250 until May, is now retailing between ₹280 and ₹350, depending on location and shops. During summer, there are a lot of chicken deaths at poultry farms which result in lower production.

Owner of Taj Chicken Centre in Yousufguda, Mohammed Kaleemuddin said: “There are a lot of poultry farms which have fans and air-conditioners so that there are no deaths but not everybody can afford such facilities. The ones which have such facilities will have constant production and by taking advantage of the situation, they will increase the prices while the ones with lower production hike the price for their survival. The end customer is affected through all of this.”

Amid the reduced production, the ongoing wedding season in the city is the other factor contributing to price rise, said a retailer. During the season, retailers start receiving bulk orders. Thus, the quantity of chicken available in the retail market declines, said Kaleem Ali Khan, owner of AK Chicken Centre, Road No 5, Banjara Hills.

However, restaurants are not affected by the surge as the retailers sign a six-month or yearly contract. There is a price ceiling in their contract and they have to supply the chicken at fixed price.

Ilyaz Khan, who runs Mr Kebab restaurant in Venkata Giri Colony, said that “as somebody between the retailer and the customer”, all they can do is wait for the prices to come down. They cannot increase the price of their menu as it will lead to opposition from customers, he shared, adding, “Our per-day expenditure on chicken has doubled due to the price surge.”