After experiencing a brief lull due to seasonal uncertainties, broiler prices are inching up on short supplies and the onset of summer.

The Broiler Coordination Committee (BCC) has hiked the price of live birds to Rs 70 a kg from Rs 67 last week. Earlier in February, prices touched a record Rs 82/kg.

Following the outbreak of bird flu in Bangalore earlier this year, the broiler industry cut its output by 20 per cut from 1 crore kg a week and most of the poultry farms were running at half their capacity. Now with consumption picking up, prices too are scaling up due to shortage of birds.

Demand for animal protein gains momentum during summer and prices are unlikely to come down till June.

Soaring feed prices that account for one-third of cost of production is also one of the prime reasons for price hike. A 75-kg bag of broiler feed costs Rs 2,410 in March this year against Rs 1,919 during the same period previous year.

Meanwhile, prices of layer birds remained flat at Rs 55 a kg. The National Egg Coordination Committee (Namakkal zone) has slashed the price of an egg by 20 paise this week to Rs 2.90 a piece.

Namakkal and Palladam prices are the benchmarks for eggs and chicken respectively in the country.

gayathri.gururajan@thehindu.co.in

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