CHENNAI: Demand for chicken and mutton shot up in the city, a day ahead of Diwali. This led to a spike in the price of mutton, while chicken rates remain stable thanks to adequate supply.
Mutton prices shot up by 70 to 100 a kg in retail shops, selling at between 840 and 1,000 a kg. However, chicken was available for 220 to 40 a kg.
Traders said there was a high demand for meat on Wednesday because this year Diwali falls on a no-moon day (amavasai) when many people don’t eat non-vegetarian dishes.
S Salaudeen, treasurer of the Chennai Mutton Merchant (Retailers) Association, said that about 35,000 goats were available in the city market. “We had a shortage of 15,000 goats to meet the the demand on Wednesday. This led to the spike in retail prices,” he said. The cost of mutton will vary from place to place, he added.
Chennai Poultry Dealers Association president T D Chandrasekhar said the city and suburbs received about 10% more than the usual five lakh kg of chicken on Wednesday. “Prices have been stable for the past 20 days,” he added.
A Mohammed Rafi, a retail meat trader, said business was brisk on Wednesday morning. “The sale of mutton on Wednesday was high when compared with the normal days,” he said.
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/mutton-prices-shoot-up-in-chennai-ahead-of-diwali/articleshow/87519662.cms
