• A kilo of chicken can be reduced by Rs.100 in a month: Poultry industry

 The Government is considering chicken meat to be imported and sold in the domestic market under a  maximum retail price (MRP),The Daily Morning learns.

The move is expected to help reduce the price of poultry products in the market as complaints flock in about price gouging by meat sellers.

Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (11), a senior official of the Ministry of Agriculture said that subject Minister Mahinda Amaraweera had held a discussion with the poultry industrialists and other relevant officials on recent increase in chicken prices on 10 June.

He said that Minister Amaraweera was of the opinion that the chicken price had increased rapidly in the recent past, and the egg shortage had not subsided despite the measures taken by the Government to protect the local poultry industry.

"The Minister is of the view that the Government should take all possible steps to protect the consumer as well as the nutritional conditions of the people including children. Therefore, he said that the Government had discussed imposing an MRP on chicken, and allowing chicken imports, if necessary." he said.

During the discussion, Amaraweera had also said that a proposal that had been prepared following discussions with poultry industrialists would be submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers this week. He had said that the Government, if need arises, would make strict decisions in order to control chicken prices, and resolve the egg shortage.

Expressing their views, the poultry industrialists said that the price of chicken, which is currently around Rs. 1,300 per kg, could be reduced to around Rs. 1,200 within the next three months. They further said that it was possible for them to reach an agreement with the Ministry in that regard.

The country is seeing a sharp increase in chicken prices, and a shortage of eggs for several months. Against this backdrop, the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) recently issued a Gazette notification imposing MRPs for eggs, but the consumers lament that there are no eggs available in the market at those prices. Taking into account the matter, the Government allowed the import of eggs, which has however not brought about a significant benefit to consumers.