Chinese New Year purchases force chicken price rise
BANGKOK - Chicken prices have soared amid Chinese Thai spending for the upcoming Chinese New Year due to the mass culling of chickens to contain the bird flu disease in the past few years.Chinese Thais have spent less on ceremonial offerings and purchased only neccessary things such as chicken and fruit, claiming the economic slowdown as the main reason, according to a TNA reporter from Yawaraj, Bangkok's Chinatown market district.
The number of live and boiled chickens at the Chinatown market has fallen this year, in comparison with last year.
A chicken seller said that this is because the bird flu outbreak forced the government to conduct mass slaughtering -- culling -- of chickens during the past two years. She also said that avian influenza --bird flu -- also forced many poultry farmers to quite their businesses.
Chicken prices during the Chinese festival this year have risen by Bt30 (US$0.75) on average. Live chickens cost 150 bt/kg while boiled chickens fetch Bt300-350 and duck costs around Bt300-400 per bird.
The prices of fruit used as offerings to worship the gods are similar to last year's prices. Many Chinese consumers -- and Thais as well -- have opted to buy fruit imported from China because they are less expensive than some locally produced fruit grown in Thailand.
Source: mcot
27 January 2006
1 minute read
