Why have chicken prices in Kerala fallen sharply? Details inside

Kanhangad: The price of chicken meat in Kerala has dropped significantly following a rise in the arrival of chicken from neighbouring states. Chicken, which was priced at almost around Rs 140 per kilogram some days ago, is now being sold at around Rs 105 per kilogram. The prices have plummeted further owing to the stiff competition among smaller chicken traders, the popular meat is being reportedly sold for less than Rs 100 per kilogram in certain areas. Customers are seen making a beeline at the local chicken shops due to the significantly low prices.

Of late, shops that otherwise used to remain open till late night are now closing down by noon as they tend to run out of stock by the time, due to the high demand. The chicken that is being sold in Kozhikode and Kasaragod are said to be arriving from Tamil Nadu and Mysore.  

Local poultry farms are facing difficulties since the influx of cheaper chicken from outside Kerala is seriously impacting their businesses. Farm owners stated that the cost of producing one kilogram of chicken is around Rs 90, this is primarily due to the high price of poultry feed. In the past, when the supply from outside Kerala had decreased, chicken prices in the state had surged up to Rs 200 per kg.

At present, agents are buying chickens from farms at Rs 65 per kilogram, which is apparently the lowest rate in recent times. The sharp increase in the number of chickens in the farms have led to the situation. Keeping chickens for longer automatically leads to rise in feed costs. 

With more chickens being raised and their numbers rising considerably in the farms, prices have dropped drastically. 

The rainy season is usually considered a good time for growing chicken, as the birds tend to put up  weight quite easily during this time of the year . Traders are now expecting for a change of fortunes, with Onam approaching, they are hopeful of selling the meat for better prices very soon.