JAIPUR: Despite the poor demand from the bulk buyers like hotels, restaurants and eateries due to the lockdown, prices of meat, chicken, eggs and fish have risen in the range of 10-30% in the past four months.
Many attribute the price increase to supply side constraints due to the lockdown as mandis did not operate full time.
While others said despite the increase, prices in Jaipur are meaningfully lower compared to metro cities like Delhi and Mumbai.
Ilyas Qureshi, president of Ajmer District Meat Association said, “Because of lockdown prohibitions many people were not bringing animals to the mandi.
That’s why the supply was not enough to meet the demand which resulted in some price rise.” Retail prices of meat has gone up by around Rs 100 per 1 kg.
The rise has also impacted the chicken and fish prices by 10-20%.
But Sabbir Querishi Muhammad, president of Jaipur Meat Merchants Association, said, “In Jaipur, the prices are still cheaper compared to other metro citifies.
Barring a few places in the city, meat prices are about Rs 600 per 1 kg compared to Rs 700-800 in Delhi and Mumbai.” With meat becoming costlier, broiler chicken prices have also seen some increases of about 15-20%.
Chicken is sold at Rs 220 per kg which used to be around Rs 180 around three months back.
Rajasthan Poultry Farmers Society president Rajkumar Jaipal said, “The rise in chicken prices is a result of costlier meat.
Poultry farming in summer season is tough and birds die because of heat.
So both the factors have contributed to the price increase.” In the past couple of months, the consumers are shelling out a little eggs.
From Rs 5 to the prices have gone up to Rs 6.50-7 at the retail shops.
Jaipal cited the same reason of farmers losing birds to extreme heat conditions which has resulted in the price hike.
However, some meat traders said that they are getting better prices for exports.
“Large quantities of meat is exported to Gulf countries and the demand has been pretty good in the past 4-5 months for meat.
That is another reason for the rise in prices.” The rise in diesel and petrol prices and the animal feed is another reason behind the price spike, the other poultry farmers said.