Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Jan 24: Chicken prices across Karnataka have witnessed a steep and sudden surge, jumping by nearly Rs 100 per kilogram within just two weeks, delivering a shock to consumers. In Bengaluru and several other parts of the state, retail chicken prices have now crossed the Rs 350 per kg mark, significantly straining household budgets. The reasons behind this abrupt escalation point to a combination of protests, production decline and supply disruption.

As recently as December, chicken was selling at Rs 260 to Rs 280 per kg. However, prices have now climbed sharply to Rs 340– Rs 350 per kg, with some localities already reporting rates touching Rs 350 per kg. Traders have warned that if the current situation persists, prices could rise further to Rs 370–Rs 380 per kg in the coming days.

The sudden spike in prices has been attributed to multiple factors, with the ongoing protest by poultry farmers in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh emerging as the primary cause. Poultry farmers have been demanding that companies pay higher procurement prices, arguing that maintenance and production costs have risen sharply.

Simultaneously, overall chicken production has declined, resulting in an imbalance between demand and supply. With production failing to keep pace with market demand, shortages have begun to surface across wholesale and retail markets.

The situation worsened after poultry farmers completely halted chicken production from January 1, intensifying their protest. As a consequence, the supply of chicken to Karnataka, including Bengaluru, has been almost entirely disrupted, triggering scarcity and pushing prices upward.

Unless production resumes and supply chains stabilise, market observers caution that relief for consumers may not be immediate, with elevated prices likely to persist in the near term.