Chicken price chills out

The chicken price in the city kitchen market has calmed down following an ample supply and its low demand among pollotarians.

Upon visiting several kitchen markets in the capital on Tuesday, it was noticed that broiler chicken was selling for Tk 150 - Tk 155 per kilogramme compared to Tk 165 -- Tk 170 a kg in the last couple of days back.

Besides, the Sonalika chicken variety was priced at Tk 270 - Tk 275 a kg while it was ranging between Tk 285 and Tk 290 over the last few days.

A Mirpur-1 chicken trader Abul Hasem said when the transport owners called on the nationwide strike protesting the hike in diesel price, the chicken price went up slightly.

“Currently, the prices of firm chickens have gone down as there is no shortage of supply and the chicken feed is also available in the market at an affordable price,” he argued.

Earlier in mid-September and that of October, The Business Post observed that broiler chicken sold at Tk 190 to Tk 195 per kg, a Tk 40 to Tk 45 rise in price from Tk 145 – Tk 150 per kg.

Meanwhile, the price of Sonalika chicken also went up by nearly Tk 30 during the same period.

In mid-September, Sonalika chicken weighing a kilogramme was being sold at between Tk 290 and Tk 295, but the price climbed up to Tk 310 – Tk 320 a kg in mid-October.

Talking to The Business Post, many consumers vented their frustration on the price spiral of essentials like vegetables and such other commodities – all of which putting pressure on their wallet.

Earlier on November 4, owners and workers of public and cargo transport announced a nationwide indefinite strike from November 5 protesting the hike in diesel price. Later, they called it off as the government decided to increase fare for diesel-run buses and minibuses by 27 per cent per kilometre.

On November 3, the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) started truck sales of essential goods. Besides, TCB raised soybean oil and lentil prices.

On October 19, the Bangladesh Vegetable Oil Refiners and Vanaspati Manufacturers Association raised the price of soybean oil by Tk 7 per litre and palm oil by Tk 3 per litre.

Besides, per litre non-bottled soybean oil currently costs Tk 136, five-litre bottled soybean oil Tk 760 and per litre palm oil Tk 118.

On September 14, the government withdrew import duties on onion and reduced that on sugar by 10 per cent to stabilise the prices of the two essential commodities in the local market.

On September 9, the government fixed new prices of packaged and non-packaged sugar for the first time.

The maximum retail price of per kg non-packaged sugar was set at Tk 74, which was Tk 80 in the market, and that of packaged sugar at Tk 75, which was Tk 85.