Hike in chicken prices recorded at beginning of Ramadan

AMMAN — A significant increase in the price of chicken was recorded on the first day of Ramadan due to high public demand, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Sunday.

The Industry, Trade and Supply Ministry on Sunday said that chicken quantities sent to the market remained as usual and that prices are expected to decrease in the next few days, while adding that the prices of vegetables were stable on the first day of Ramadan on Saturday.

However, Jordanian Poultry Producers Union former president, Abdul Shakour Jamjoum, said that weather conditions have caused respiratory problems for chickens, which led to the death of 20 per cent of the animals, causing the recent price hike, Petra reported. 

In contrast to the ministry’s statement, Jamjoum told Petra that quantities of chickens entering the market have decreased, while demand doubled two days before the start of the fasting month of Ramadan.

The needs of the local market on regular days stand at around 500,000 chickens. 

Meanwhile, on the first day of Ramadan, demand increased to a million chickens per day, Jamjoum said, adding that prices will gradually decrease by the start of next week, when demand decreases. 

On the first day of Ramadan, the ministry issued 21 fines around the Kingdom, most of which were for not announcing prices properly, Petra quoted the ministry as saying in a statement. 

The ministry added that shops selling “Qatayef” sweets in the market have set prices at 1JD for one kilogramme.