The suggested retail price of chicken will drop by five baht (THB) per kilogram to THB65 in Bangkok and the rest of the Central region, reports The Nation of Thailand.

The Commerce Ministry had imposed a reference price of THB70 to ensure a fair deal for consumers but with new supply entering the market and raw-material costs falling, the ministry ordered traders to reduce their prices.

Commerce Minister, Porntiva Nakasai, has said that up-country consumers would have to pay more than those in the capital. For example, chicken in the North will be THB2 higher and in the Northeast and the South THB3 higher.

Production costs, particularly feed-meal costs, have eased.

The ministry will send teams to monitor prices of chicken meat at fresh markets nationwide.

Unscrupulous vendors will be punished with fines of up to THB140,000 and/or seven years in jail.

The retail price of pork should also come down soon after the ministry stringently controlled swine movements and farmers started raising more pigs with the end of the hot season.