Chicken vendors reject CDGL’s price control notice

LAHORE: Chicken was sold for Rs195-200 per kilogram (kg) in some areas of the city, while as high as Rs230 per kg in others, despite the City District Government’s (CDGL) efforts to control price-hike. According to a notice issued by the CDGL, the price of chicken meat has been fixed at Rs170 per kg.

The city government has warned the over-chargers of serious actions. It also imposed section 144 to arrest those selling it for more.

Consumers told The Express Tribune that the vendors have suddenly raised the prices. The vendors said they were themselves buying poultry products at higher rates. Due to the CDGL notice, and the vendors’ refusal to sell chicken at the prescribed rates, the poultry market is facing a shortage.

A former Pakistan Poultry Association chairman, Abdul Basit, said the chicken meat costs around Rs180 per kg to the farmers and they sell it for Rs185-190 per kg to the wholesalers, who sell it to the retailers for Rs195-200 per kg. Thus the consumer price cannot be less than Rs205 per kg.

“The price was feasible when the poultry farms were intact and chicken production was enough to meet the demand, but after the floods and devastation of many poultry farms it is not possible to sell it for Rs170,” said Lahore Poultry Traders Association president Tariq Javed. The city government raided the shops on Friday and arrested several vendors, who had no hand in the price-hike, he added. “The vendors buy from the wholesaler and sell the product at a marginal profit. They are being unfairly targeted,” he lamented. “Chicken prices were stable as late as a week ago, but the vendors started charging too much for it,” said a shopper, Waheed Akhtar of Shalimar area. “Last Sunday, I bought chicken meat for Rs170 per kg but on Thursday it was selling for more than Rs200 per kg,” he added.

According to a chicken meat vendor, city government’s price control notice caused the shortage by forcing a number of vendors to temporarily close their businesses.

A CDGL officer said that it was not possible for the CDGL to inspect the prices all over the city at once.

Some chicken vendors said they had closed down their shops because they could not sell at the prescribed price and feared city government’s action for selling at ‘affordable’ rates. “I am a poor man. The city government can impose a heavy fine,” said Kamran Nagina, one of the vendors who has closed his shop for the time being. He said that the vendors were buying chicken from the wholesalers for Rs188-192 per kg and it was impossible to sell it at Rs170 per kg.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 4^th, 2010.