Chicken prices on the Increase

The demand for chicken in the nation’s capital has remained the same, though supply is not enough, with the direct impact being a rise in the prices of table birds. Markets continue to be flooded by consumers, who, in most cases, cannot afford the rising prices.

The Nkolndongo Livestock Market is a chicken hub, with customers from far-off neighbourhoods trooping in everyday. Friday November 27, 2015 was another day in the market with the usual hustle and bustle. Vendors are now faced with the challenge of over bargaining, a situaion that in no way promotes business turnout, given the near-scarcity of table birds.

Alain Moukouri, a chicken vendor in the Nkolndongo Market says birds that sold at FCFA 2000 and FCFA 5000 in the past few months now go for between FCFA 2,300-2,500 and FCFA 6,000 respectively. The season is witnessing shortage in supply, he said, arguing that prices are fixed according to the stock in hand. Customers like Maggy Ndoumbe have had to chance plans. She intended buyingt 10 birds at FCFA 50,000, but was obliged to spend over FCFA 60,000. Vendors blame the hike in table bird prices and scarcity to the decrease in the production of day-old chicks during months of abundance.

According to the Director General of the Mvog-Betsi, Yaounde Poultry Complex, Christopher Foto, claims of scarcity are far from being true. He said the problem could be bad planning by farmers. “We can supply many chicks to people who did good planning for the year,” explained Foto. He argued that any shortage in the market must be caused by occassional vendors who decide to keep broilers for the festive season. Christophe Foto said claims of the scarcity of chicks could be explained, given that his structure works with stakeholders who place orders once a year.

“This is the period when everyone wants to sell chicken, but we cannot satisfy all of them.” He explained that parent stocks are imported for a one and half year life span. Occasional farmers are not given pride of place, with the Mvog-Betsi, Yaounde Poultry Complex worried about what becomes of the chicks when the occassional buyers are no longer there. The Complex has therefore resolved to carry out transactions only with regular farmers; reason why occassionally traders complain of scarcity of birds. The Mvog-Betsi, Yaounde Poultry Complex supplies about 120,000 chicks a week.

The Permanent Secretary of the Poultry Interprofession of Cameroon, IPAVIC, Luca Nga, linked the pseudo-scarcity of chicken in markets to the situation some months back when markets were flooded with chicken. He said poultry farmers faced difficulties finishing their stock, a situation that equally affected the production of day-old chicks. Meanwhile, IPAVIC last June 8, 2015, convened a crisis meeting with stakeholders with focus on the need to ensure that markets are furnished during the end-of-year season.