Wholesalers are scratching their heads over surging prices for chickens and eggs, which have hit a two-year high during a season when they usually fall.
Broiler Association vice chairman U Myo Thant said prices usually fall during the monsoon. He attributed rising prices to a fall in production, but Egg Enterprise Association chairman U Joe Zet said the number of eggs sold in Yangon is up 20 percent over last year, to about 1.2 million a day.
“Wholesalers sold about one million eggs a day last year, but the price did not go up,” he said. “This year more eggs are being sold, but the price is going up. This is not the result of supply and demand.”
Retailers said the price of chicken has risen about 18 percent to K7000 for one viss (1.6 kilograms or 3.6 pounds), while the price of eggs has risen more than 50pc to as high as K150 for one. The price has fallen from to about K130 per egg, they said.
Broiler Association chairman Hla Hla Thein blamed fewer chicken farms for rising prices. “The government doesn’t rent as much land to farmers so there is less production,” she said.
Another reason could be that fishery exports are rising and consumers are switching to chicken because there is less fish for sale at markets, she added.
source: mmtimes