Poultry product prices skyrocket in Nepal
Friday, 24 August 2007
KATHMANDU, Aug 23 (Xinhua): Ban in import of parent chicks from countries suspected of bird-flu and their dwindling number in Nepal has triggered a shortage of chicken and eggs, sparking a fresh price hike in poultry products, The Kathmandu Post reported today.
Poultry entrepreneurs have even warned that the prices would further shoot up soon, culminating to a record high with supplies showing no sign of improvement.
According to the daily, fearing possible transmission of the fatal avian influenza, the government put a stop in the import of parent chicks from India, Bangladesh, the United States, Denmark and Germany.
"We were importing chicks from Australia but it could not be continued due to inconvenience in flight schedules. The chicks are vulnerable if undelivered within a given time," said Til Chandra Bhattarai, managing director of Pancharatna Poultry Group, one of the largest poultry farms in the country.
According to him, the stock of parent population of broiler chicken stands at only 280,000, down from around 400,000 that are necessary to fulfill the current demand.
Likewise, the population of the egg laying chicken is also running low. "We need at least 40,000 chicks in the farms but right now there are only around 32,000," Bhattarai said, adding that the situation is going to further worsen as import of chicks has come to a standstill.
And, the possibility of immediately importing chicks is almost nil. "We are preparing to import chicks from Sri Lanka as bird-flu has not been detected there and flight schedule from there to Nepal is also convenient. But it will take time."
According to poultry entrepreneurs, improvement in tourism and other sectors that are major consumers of poultry products after the end of the decade long conflict pushed up the demand.
The price of eggs went from 105 Nepali rupees (1.6 US dollars) per crate (30 eggs) to 120 rupees (1.8 dollars) where as the price of broiler chicken has gone up to 135 rupees (2 dollars) per kg from 115 rupees (1.7 dollars), Bhattarai warned that the price of chicken could go up by 20 per cent within a month.
Production of eggs shrunk from around 540 million pieces per year to 450 million pieces last year. Last year, 45.8 million kg of broiler chicken were consumed, down from the normal 66 million kg.
Poultry entrepreneurs have even warned that the prices would further shoot up soon, culminating to a record high with supplies showing no sign of improvement.
According to the daily, fearing possible transmission of the fatal avian influenza, the government put a stop in the import of parent chicks from India, Bangladesh, the United States, Denmark and Germany.
"We were importing chicks from Australia but it could not be continued due to inconvenience in flight schedules. The chicks are vulnerable if undelivered within a given time," said Til Chandra Bhattarai, managing director of Pancharatna Poultry Group, one of the largest poultry farms in the country.
According to him, the stock of parent population of broiler chicken stands at only 280,000, down from around 400,000 that are necessary to fulfill the current demand.
Likewise, the population of the egg laying chicken is also running low. "We need at least 40,000 chicks in the farms but right now there are only around 32,000," Bhattarai said, adding that the situation is going to further worsen as import of chicks has come to a standstill.
And, the possibility of immediately importing chicks is almost nil. "We are preparing to import chicks from Sri Lanka as bird-flu has not been detected there and flight schedule from there to Nepal is also convenient. But it will take time."
According to poultry entrepreneurs, improvement in tourism and other sectors that are major consumers of poultry products after the end of the decade long conflict pushed up the demand.
The price of eggs went from 105 Nepali rupees (1.6 US dollars) per crate (30 eggs) to 120 rupees (1.8 dollars) where as the price of broiler chicken has gone up to 135 rupees (2 dollars) per kg from 115 rupees (1.7 dollars), Bhattarai warned that the price of chicken could go up by 20 per cent within a month.
Production of eggs shrunk from around 540 million pieces per year to 450 million pieces last year. Last year, 45.8 million kg of broiler chicken were consumed, down from the normal 66 million kg.