By Lal Gunesekera
Large scale poultry farmers are in the process of negotiating with the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) to jack up the price of chicken from Rs. 350 a kilo (with skin) to Rs. 420 or Rs. 430 citing the fuel and electricity price hikes.
Small scale poultry farmers told The Island that if the CAA permitted a price increase as requested by the large scale industrialists it would be an injustice to them as well as consumers were already burdened with price increases in various commodities.
These small scale poultry producers said that the major ingredient for poultry feed – maize, has come down to between Rs. 37 and Rs. 35 a kilo from Rs. 42 sometime back. They were also of the opinion that Grade II rice was available in plenty and at cheaper rates, to be included in poultry feed, though the feed millers had not brought down the prices of compounded feed.
The large scale poultry producers transport two to three tonnes of chicken in a freezer truck in one consignment and those big industrialists, in anticipation of a price increase make demands during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year in April. Producers were freezing stocks of chicken which could be kept frozen for about three to four months. If they were permitted to increase prices by the CAA, they would make a killing at the expense of the poor consumer, the small producers alleged.
The small farmers also complain that the large scale industrialists had brought down the prices of live chicken supplied by the small scale farmers who were badly affected and finding it difficult to run their farms.
When the President of the All-Island Poultry Association (AIPA) Dr. D. D. Wanasinghe was contacted in this regard he said that he was not aware of any discussions to increase the price of chicken.
The Chairman of the CAA Rumy Marzook too was not available for comment despite several attempts to contact him.
http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=47080
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