Colva: Retail chicken prices in Goa crossed the Rs 200 per kg mark, with chicken selling at Rs 205 per kg. Until recently, prices largely hovered around Rs 196 per kg. Poultry egg prices also rose sharply, increasing from Rs 80 to Rs 100 per dozen over the past two weeks.Vendors attributed the hike to soaring temperatures, rising feed costs and increased transportation expenses.Maqsood Bepari, a poultry vendor at the SGPDA market in Margao, said extreme summer temperatures adversely affected poultry growth. “During summer, birds gain less weight, with the average weight dropping to 1.5-1.7kg compared to 2.5-3kg in other seasons. This directly impacts poultry farm prices and, in turn, retail prices,” he said.Bepari said poultry feed costs increased significantly. The price of a 50kg bag of feed rose by around Rs 450 over the past month and now ranged between Rs 2,200 and Rs 2,500.With production costs continuing to rise, many poultry farmers opted to reduce the number of birds they reared instead of expanding production, further tightening supply, he added.Other vendors raised similar concerns. Shanur Jalegar, who operated a chicken stall in Benaulim, said Goa depended heavily on poultry supplies from neighbouring states. According to him, rising prices of feed ingredients such as soya, maize, vitamins and amino acids compelled farmers to increase their selling prices. Higher transportation costs added to the burden.“The prices started climbing in March, ranging between Rs 170 and Rs 190 per kg. In April, they touched Rs 185 and have now reached Rs 205 per kg,” said Masa Habib, a poultry wholesaler at the SGPDA market in Margao.Despite the surge, vendors said they expected prices to ease in the coming weeks. With the monsoon gaining momentum, poultry production was expected to improve, leading to better supply. “We expect chicken and egg prices to decline by at least Rs 10-20 by the end of the month,” the vendors said.
