Chicken price in Quetta hits Rs 700 per kg, up from Rs 430 at the start of the week

Chicken is selling for Rs 630 to Rs 700 per kg in Quetta, up from Rs 430 per kg at the start of this week, ProPakistani reported on Saturday. That is a rise of up to Rs 270 a kg, or about 63%, in less than a week, and prices have climbed in other parts of Balochistan too.

Why chicken is so expensive in Quetta

Retailers and traders gave three reasons, according to the report:

• Supplies cut off: deliveries of chicken from Sindh and Punjab, which Quetta depends on, have been suspended.
• Freight: repeated increases in the diesel price have pushed up what trucks charge to bring stock in. Today's diesel rate is on our diesel price page.
• Feed: local poultry farms face high feed and other farming costs, so they cannot sell cheaper to fill the gap.

Customers also complained that some shops offering slightly lower prices were giving short weight.

What it costs a household

For a family that buys 2 kg a week, that is more than Rs 2,000 extra a month.

The national picture

Quetta's jump is far sharper than elsewhere. The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics' weekly SPI showed chicken up 12% in a week across its 17 cities last Thursday, with LPG up 22%: see our SPI inflation story. Fuel has been a driver across the board, and pump prices are tracked daily on our petrol price page.

What you can do

• Weigh what you buy: ask the shop to weigh in front of you, and report short weight to the district price control magistrate through the deputy commissioner's office.
• Compare shops in different markets before buying in bulk; prices have been changing daily.