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Bengal

Fearing soaring chicken prices, Kolkatans to feel pocket pinch soon

Kolkata: Consumers have to brace for a bigger hole in their pockets as chicken wholesalers are apprehending a further hike in price in future

due to short supply in the wake of three-week lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

"Today (Thursday), we are selling chicken at Rs 75 per kg to the retailers. Tomorrow (Friday), we will sell it at Rs 90 per kg to the retailers. The Rs 15 hike is because the poultry farms have raised the price," said Md Shoaib Khan, a chicken wholesaler in Park Circus.

He reiterated that the reasons of price hike are lesser number of workers working in poultry farms resulting in less production of broiler chicken and restriction on movement of vehicles containing chicken by locals in remote areas in the state, where the poultry farms are situated.

Depending on place, the cost per kg of chicken varied between Rs 90 and Rs 130 in different markets across the city on Thursday. Last week, chicken was priced between Rs 60 and Rs 80 depending upon the locality.

"I bought 1.5 kg of chicken at Rs 80 on Tuesday from a market near my house. I have stocked it because I knew the price will increase in near future," said Dilawar Hossain, a resident of Bright Street.

"Due to lockdown in the state owing to Coronavirus outbreak, most of the poultry farms are not breeding chicken. That is why there is shortage of chicken," Khan pointed out.

However, the sale of chicken from the outlets of Haringhata Meat has suddenly witnessed a dip of 50 percent with effect from March 15, due to the present scenario regarding COVID-19.

The fall in sales is the outcome of less procurement by the corporate clients from West Bengal Livestock Development Corporation (WBLDC) that sells meat under the Haringhata Meat brand name.

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