Chicken prices may not go through the roof if govt panel decision gets nod

The committee will issue a regulation for farms raising 100,000 chickens or more and for slaughterhouses that kill at least 4,000 chicken a day, Jurin said.

The farms and slaughterhouses will be required to report to the authorities the number of chickens in stock and their cost every month so that officials will calculate controlled prices accordingly, Jurin said.

He said the committee would also require 55 factories that produce chicken feed to report their production costs, prices and stock to the authorities every month.

Any rise in the prices of chicken and chicken feed must be first approved by the Internal Trade Department, Jurin said.

He said the committee’s decision needs to be approved by the Cabinet before it takes effect.

Jurin added that he would submit the committee’s decision for Cabinet consideration next week.

With the retail price of pork rising to almost Bt300 per kg, the Commerce Ministry has sought cooperation from farmers and major retailers not to raise prices further. Following two meetings between the ministry and farmers and retailers, chicken is priced at 60-75 baht per kg at three superstores – Big C, Makro and Lotus’s.