Despite the absence of any new taxes on poultry products in the federal and provincial budgets, prices of chicken have seen a substantial hike in the Twin Cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad and all over Punjab.
Market sources said that the wholesale price of chicken has now gone up to Rs12,400 per maund from Rs11,200 per maund prior to the announcement of the budget.
Sources said that an association representing poultry farm owners had been lobbying for a price increase in recent days, and the impact is now becoming evident in the market.
This increase in wholesale prices has also resulted in an increase in the retail price, thus adding to the burden of consumers. Some days ago, the price of chicken was around Rs265 per kilogram, but it has now jumped to Rs340 per kilogram in certain places.
Citizens have voiced concerns about the rapid surge in prices of basic foodstuffs, increasing are causing hardship for household budgets.
Pakistan’s weekly inflation rises as vegetable and chicken prices surge
Pakistan’s short-term inflation moved higher during the week ending June 18, driven mainly by a sharp increase in the prices of vegetables and poultry, according to the latest data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), which measures weekly changes in the prices of essential goods, increased by 0.46 per cent compared to the previous week.
Among the biggest contributors to the rise were tomatoes, whose prices surged 16.65 per cent in just one week. Potatoes became 6.82 per cent more expensive, while chicken prices climbed 5.60 per cent. Consumers also faced higher costs for washing soap, gur, mutton, LPG, eggs, fresh milk and curd.
Despite the overall increase, some household items became cheaper during the week. Onion prices fell 2.98 per cent, followed by garlic at 2.51 per cent and bananas at 1.28 per cent. Fuel prices also provided some relief, with petrol declining 1.06 per cent and diesel dropping 0.51 per cent. Prices of wheat flour and several pulses also recorded modest decreases.
PBS data showed that out of 51 essential items monitored during the week, prices of 25 items increased, 11 declined, and 15 remained unchanged.
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