Hyderabad: All chicken retail shops across the city shut down operations from Tuesday, launching an indefinite strike to protest skyrocketing wholesale prices and erratic poultry supply that have squeezed their margins to the breaking point.
The Telangana Poultry Retailers Association announced the closure, affecting hundreds of shops in markets like Monda Market, Fish Market, and Old City areas. Owners say broiler chicken rates have jumped from Rs 70/kg to over Rs 140/kg in weeks, driven by maize shortages, transport costs, and heatwave impacts on farms. Many report running at a loss or barely breaking even.
“We can’t survive like this. Wholesale traders charge double while we sell at old rates to keep customers,” said Ravi Kumar, a retailer from Secunderabad with 15 years in the trade. He added that repeated pleas to suppliers and officials fell on deaf ears, forcing the shutdown.
The strike hits Hyderabad’s street food scene hard. Biryani joints, barbecue stalls, and roadside vendors now scramble for stock, with some hiking prices by 30%. Regular buyers feel the pinch. “Chicken is daily food for us—no supply means empty plates and higher costs elsewhere,” said daily wage worker Laxman Goud from Kukatpally.
Association president Prakash Reddy told reporters the protest targets both traders and government inaction. “We need price caps on feed like maize and diesel subsidies for transport. Farmers suffer too—let’s fix the chain,” he urged. Retailers plan daily meetings to decide on extending the closure.
Poultry farmers back the move but point to bigger woes. “Bird mortality rose 20% this summer. Subsidised feed could stabilise everything,” said farmer association rep Suresh Naidu.
Health officials monitor hygiene amid the shutdown, advising boiled water and alternatives like eggs or fish. Traffic eased near markets, but small eateries brace for losses.
Customers adapt with mutton or veg options, though biryani lovers grumble online. “Hope they sort it quick—Hyderabad without chicken feels wrong,” posted foodie Sneha R on X.
The strike spotlights vulnerabilities in Hyderabad’s protein supply chain, pressing authorities to balance farmer, trader, and consumer needs before prices spiral further.
