Aurangabad. Jul 23 (PTI) The retail rate of chickens in Aurangabad in Maharashtra was hovering in the Rs 200-260 per kilogram range due to rise in input costs as well as coronavirus-induced restrictions on eatery timings, those associated with the sector here said.

Soya seeds, corn, which are major ingredients in poultry feed, had got costlier in the past five to six months, leading to the cost of feed going up from Rs 27 per kilogram to Rs 46 per kg now, Poultry Farmers and Breeders Association executive member Sanjay Nalgirkar told PTI on Friday.

"The production cost per chicken, excluding labour and transport inputs, is now Rs 85, up from Rs 60 some months ago. The number of hens being bred has come down, all of which has taken retailing cost to Rs 200 and above at present," he said.

Chicken trader Babu Qureshi, who has his establishment in Central Naka here, said he used to sell 700-1000 kilograms of chicken every day, which had now come down to around 300-400 kgs.

"Retail rates of chicken are now between Rs 240 to Rs 260. People are buying less. Moreover, the restriction on hotel timings due to the pandemic is also a major cause of drop in sale," he said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)