BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – There’s a sharp increase in the price of broiler or dressed chicken in Negros Occidental, confirmed the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO), and it comes amid rising prices of other food items such as flour, sugar and bread.
From P130, a dressed chicken now costs P225.
Dr. Renante Decena, PVO chief, said they also recorded an increase, albeit slight, in the prices of pork and beef products.
In the southern area of the province badly hit by super typhoon “Odette” in December, the price of dressed chicken is going up due to low supply, said Decena.
A lot of broiler farms in southern Negros were either destroyed or suffered extensive damage, and this in turn lowered the supply of dressed chicken.
Another reason for the price hike, according to Decena, is the increase in the price of feeds such as corn and soybeans.
The delivery of soybeans to the country is delayed due to the growing crisis between the United States of America and Russia over Ukraine, he explained.
Several integrators are now trying to find farms offering long contracts, such as five years for tunnel vent, and three years for conventional farms, said Decena.
He expressed confidence that the production of dressed chicken will go down./PN
