DAMMAM — Poultry companies are planning to increase the prices of chilled chicken by 50 to 75 halalas beginning next month. The price was increased by 25 halalas just this week. Ashraf Hassan, a retailer, said the companies were preparing to raise the price after owners of poultry farms increased their prices leaving the companies with no choice but to transfer a portion of the increase to consumers. Ahmad Shafiq, another a retailer, said a significant drop in supply forced the owners to sell chickens in the market before completing the normal 34-day breeding period. He said this resulted in a decrease in the weight of live chickens from 1000-1200grams to 800-900 grams forcing them to raise the rates. Shafiq said the supply shortage had created problems for poultry companies, which have contracts with hotels, restaurants and catering companies. He said if the situation continued, the market would face a real crisis with the advent of Ramadan when demand for white meat generally picked up. The crisis would further deepen with the return of large number of families who are currently vacationing abroad, he added. — SG
