As temperatures went up, broiler chicken price too saw a rise in Coimbatore
The wholesale procurement price of chicken increased sharply from Rs 124 on May 1 to Rs 134 on May 11, Rs 138 on May 15, Rs 141 on May 16 and has reached Rs 147 now.
Broiler Chickens
COIMBATORE: Prices of broiler chicken shot up steadily due to the sizzling heat resulting in a drastic drop in its production.
The farm gate price of chicken has gone above Rs 140 per kg, while its retail price in shops hovers around Rs 260 to Rs 290.
“Price of chicken has increased by around Rs 23 per kg in less than a month due to a 20 per cent drop in its production following a sharp rise in temperature in the months of March and April. Besides large-scale death of birds and increase in production cost, the existing ban on fishing at sea has also added up to the rising demand for chicken,” say poultry farmers.
The wholesale procurement price of chicken increased sharply from Rs 124 on May 1 to Rs 134 on May 11, Rs 138 on May 15, Rs 141 on May 16 and has reached Rs 147 now.
“Over 40 tonnes of chicken is required on weekdays and upto 120 tonnes on Sundays for sale in over 1,300 meat shops in Coimbatore. However, the supply has come down drastically due to a dip in production,” said P Ramesh, member of Coimbatore District Broiler Chicken Sellers Association.
Because of the impact of searing summer heat, the birds consumed less feed and took longer to gain weight. “A bird, which usually attains 2.5 kg of weight in 40 days, gained only 1.9 kg. Following rains, the birds have started to consume in higher quantities. Therefore, their prices may come down to normal in a week’s time,” said R Manickam, a poultry farmer.
Over 25,000 poultry farms in Tirupur, Coimbatore and Namakkal districts produce more than 15 lakh birds for meat every day. In Tirupur, areas like Palladam and Udumalpet remain a hub for broiler chicken production. Besides catering to domestic needs, the chicken is also sent to neighbouring states like Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Karnataka.