By A Staff Reporter, Kathmandu, Feb. 6: The price of chicken has gone up sharply in the last couple of weeks.

Price of a kilogram of chicken rose to Rs. 420 in the retail market from Rs. 360 within two weeks.

Traders have increased the price of chicken citing short supply of the fowl in the market.

After the price of chicken went up sharply in the market, the Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection has started monitoring the cold stores and firms to control the artificial price hike, said Netra Prasad Subedi, director general at the of Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection.

“Our team went round the valley to monitor the cold stores. We are inquiring information about it from the chicken suppliers and traders. We need to know the actual reason behind the price hike so our investigation is still going on,” he said.

“We will take action against the wrongdoers if they are found selling chicken by increasing price artificially,” he told The Rising Nepal.

According to him, they held a meeting with the representatives of the poultry firms and urged them to sell chicken at a reasonable price.

He said that the traders had started reducing the price, but it should come below Rs. 350 per kilogram.

However, the traders have decided to reduce the price by only Rs. 15 per kilogram effective from Thursday, said Janga Bahadur Belbase, president of National Chicken Seller Association.

Consumers will get a kilogram of chicken at Rs. 375 from today, he said.

“The retailers are selling chicken at up to Rs. 410 per kilogram even though the association has fixed its price at Rs. 390 per kilogram. This is not a good practice,” he said.

According to him, they increased the price effective from today by holding discussions with stakeholders as the supply of chicken was improving in the market.

The price of chicken fluctuates based on the demand and supply, he said.

Earlier, the association had increased chicken price by Rs. 30 per kilogram to Rs. 390 per kilogram due to short supply of chicken.

The production of chicken decreases in winter season as the mortality rate of chicken is high in the winter, he said.

Price of chicken would gradually decrease with the start of summer season as the supply of chicken increases in summer, he said.

Previously, poultry entrepreneurs and hatcheries observed chicken holiday for 10 days, limiting the supply to the market. They had destroyed six million chicks across the country from November 15 to December 24, 2019 and hatcheries stopped producing chicks for 10 days. They defended their move stating that it was necessary to get the desired return from their investment.

Chairman of Nepal Hatchery Industries Association Tikaram Pokharel said that the price of chicken had increased in the market due to its short supply as the poultry farmers did not show interest in poultry business due to low price in the past. He said many farmers closed their business in the last two years after facing losses.

“Now, the price of chicken has increased in the market which will encourage the farmers to keep poultry. Present level of chicken price will be reasonable for farmers to earn profit.”