Following the failure of a previous attempt to control chicken prices, the Punjab government has reverted to its older system of setting prices for both live chickens and chicken meat. However, this system has historically struggled with enforcement due to a lack of interest from government officials.
The prices of essential food items, including milk and curd, have risen sharply, with sellers independently increasing milk prices by at least Rs20 per liter and curd prices by Rs20-30 per kilogram.
This week, government-set prices versus actual market prices showed significant disparities. Live chicken was officially priced between Rs249-263 per kg, but it wasn’t even available at that price. Chicken meat was fixed at Rs381 per kg, but retailers were selling it for Rs480-530 per kg, and boneless chicken reached Rs1,000 per kg.
Similar discrepancies were observed for vegetables. A-grade soft-skin potatoes were fixed at Rs55-60 per kg but sold for Rs120-140 per kg, with lower grades also exceeding official prices. Sugar-free potatoes followed the same pattern. Onions, tomatoes and garlic also exhibited large price discrepancies with the sellers charging much more than the government-fixed prices.
Fruits like apples, bananas, mangoes, melons, watermelons, and cantaloupes also experienced significant price differences between the fixed rates and what vendors were actually charging consumers.