According to The Nation, market sources said that in the month of April, live chicken sold at Rs 170 per kg, while chicken meat was available at Rs 220 per kg. After the start of May, the rates went down and currently, live chicken bird is available at Rs 110 per kg while chicken meat is being sold at the rate of Rs 170 per kg.

Talking about egg rates, they said eggs are available at Rs 70 per dozen in wholesale markets and at Rs 72 per dozen at retail markets. Egg prices are likely to fall further between June and July, they added.

Poultry market sources said that the poultry industry had suffered huge losses between November last year to April this year due to spread of Newcastle disease. During the last six months the industry faced a total loss of Rs 7 billion. The disease has now been controlled with the help of scientists from the University of Veterinary and Animals Sciences (UVAS) who came up with a vaccine.

They said that after controlling the disease, production has suddenly jumped up and rates have come down due to supply glut. The poultry rates depend largely on the production and supply chain, they added. The retailers were charging different rates for chicken in city.

A retailer at Samanabad said that the city government has fixed live chicken bird rates at Rs 120 per kg and chicken meat rate Rs 174 per kg. He said some traders were selling chicken at low rates. However, the bird size was also very small.

Pakistan Poultry Association former chairman Abdul Basit said that poultry farmers were selling the birds at cost-to-cost rates because there was sufficient chicken production available in country. He said in the coming days, chicken prices will stabilise.