On Saturday, March 30, the Indian Livestock Minister made a report on the unusually high mortality of chickens in poultry farms throughout Bengal.

Chick mortality caused a collapse in sales throughout southern Bengal, as poultry farms sharply increased supplies to markets in Calcutta this weekend when demand peaked. Along with this, supply growth stabilized prices, which have been rising throughout the past week.

“After reading in The Times of India (Indian daily in English), I requested a report from my ministry. The issue will be investigated. If any corrective action is required, it will be taken immediately, ”said Swapan Debannath, Minister of Livestock Affairs of India. He also asked the ministry staff to work closely with the Calcutta Municipal Corporation (KMC) and consider complaints about unfair chicken prices in the markets.

On Saturday, March 30, an adequate supply of chicken stabilized prices in the city. “Since 40% of weekly chicken demand is satisfied on weekends, poultry farms tried to stimulate retail sales by offloading young birds at much lower prices. They felt that it was wiser than to hold on to them and risk big losses if they die, ”said Pratap Ghosh, Secretary General of the Association of Poultry Traders of West Bengal.

Poultry owners also said that the sudden jump in chicken prices was partly due to rising prices for chicken feed. The main ingredient in chicken feed is corn, which has grown from $ 0.14 to $ 0.29 in two weeks.