The Hindu Business Line : Chicken prices gain as consumption rises

Warming up End of Hindu religion austerities, Easte celebration could help offtake. Summer holidays could create a favourable market trend. Non-vegetarian dishes for political volunteers could add to the positive outlook

Coimbatore , April 13

The rising mercury may have added to the daytime discomfort for many. But the simmering heat conditions this time has brought the much-needed relief to the beleaguered poultry producers.

The prices of live chicken that hit rock-bottom last month amidst bird flu scare have begun to surge.

HITS COMFORT ZONE

Not only had the broiler prices remained at Rs 20 plus a kg in the past 10 days, but it also climbed up to hit the comfortable price zone of Rs 30 a kg on Thursday, amidst recovery in chicken meat consumption levels, sources in the State (Tamil Nadu) Broiler Co-ordination Committee (BCC) said.

RECOVERY

The sources told Business Line that the ending of religious austerities in the Hindu calendar as well as Easter celebration this weekend, together with the production cuts resorted to by the poultry producers immediately after the bird flu outbreaks and last month have aided the current price recovery for the live birds.

"The two weeks of hatching holidays imposed first in February and subsequently in the first week of March this year immediately after the avian flu incidents in Maharashtra did give the corresponding vacuum in the commercial birds production.

The resultant absence of a week's production of 50 lakh birds in a month acted positively to pep up the demand in the market this week," the sources said.

The chicken market, especially in Kerala, which roughly draws 50 per cent of the birds produced from Tamil Nadu, has improved to the extent of 80 per cent.

The summer holidays for schools and colleges to commence shortly are expected to create favourable market conditions for the chicken trade, particularly in South India.

POLL BONANZA

But one single positive event anticipated with great enthusiasm by the broiler and egg traders this time around to push their produce into the market is the coming Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu.

Volunteers of parties cutting across political lines who are engaged for poll works are treated with non-vegetarian dishes by their political bosses to keep morale intact. Given this scenario, the live bird price may surge further in the coming weeks.