Short supply has been fuelling the price hike, said wholesaler Ram Prasad Shahi. "National Chicken Sellers’ Association has set the price of live chicken at Rs 300 per kg," he said. "We still do not have chicken in sufficient quantity."

According to him, the shortage has emerged due to the continuous bird flu outbreaks across the country since November last year and also due to loadshedding.

Chicken firms need electricity in the winter, but the country has power cuts of up to 14 hours, The Himalayan reports. The price of chicken feed has also contributed to the price hike, he added.

The price of chicken was at around Rs 170 a kg during Dashain (mid-October), and Rs 160 per kg in Tihar (mid-November), according to the association. The price has almost doubled in the last two months, said another wholesaler Kaji Thapa. "There will be shortage for the next two months."

The price hike of chicken has helped boost the market of mutton and fish. "People have started preferring mutton and fish these days. Their price has increased by 15 per cent and 35 per cent, respectively, in the last two months," said Mr Thapa. The price of mutton was Rs 650 a kg in Dashain, while one kg of fish was sold at Rs 170-180.

Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur districts have a daily demand of 350,000 kg of chicken meat every day.

The country has been self-reliant in chicken for the last three years but frequent bird flu outbreaks have discouraged farmers and a substantial number are quitting the business.