According to the suppliers, the demand for meat has suddenly soared in the district this year. They, on the other hand, are facing problems in sourcing additional pigs and goats -- much needed to fulfill the growing consumption.
As a result, mutton price has soared to Rs 300 per kilogram, chicken to Rs 250 per kg, and pork and buff to Rs 140 per kg. “Given the short supply of livestock, the prices could still go up,” Jhanak Lal Dhimal, vice president of Fresh Meat Suppliers Association, told myrepublica.com.
Pork, which is relatively cheaper and also preferred by a wider mass, is on a short supply for the last 15 days. “Supply of swine has declined sharply. We are helpless,” said Hari Khadgi, a vendor. Khadgi, who used to sell meat of four pigs a day, have been making do with just a pig these days, thanks to dwindling supply.
Suppliers said farmers in the villages, from where they used to source pigs and goats, have increased the prices of livestock and are even declining to sell. Likewise, chicken supply has decreased in recent weeks due to lack of timely supply of broiler chicks.
Poultry entrepreneur Dorje Tamang attributed the short supply of chicken to the ban imposed by the government in importing chicks from India. The restriction is in place from about nine months, when bird flu re-appeared in the southern neighbor.
There are about 25 poultry farms in the district. However, poultry farmers say they have no live chicken to sell. Meat vendors, on the other hand, are selling layers meat to contain the demand. “Unfortunately, even the availability of layers is inadequate,” stated Prakash Shrestha, a vendor.
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