Price of Chicken has increased by 66 per cent in Asaba and its environs due to the Christmas festivities, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

A survey by a NAN correspondent showed that the price of big cock which was sold for N6,000 in 2017 now sells for between N9,000 and N10,000 in Asaba and its environs.

The survey also showed that the price of a big size of broiler which was sold for between N3,000 and N3,500 in the preceding year now sells for between N5,000 and N6,000.

Some of the chicken sellers who spoke with NAN attributed the increase to hike in the price of feeds and the cost of labour.

They also said that that the increase was necessary to enable them to realise their capital as well as make small profit.

Mrs Grace Okorie of Feed Well Poultry in Asaba, said ‘‘We sold parent cock last year at the rate of N6,000 but as at today (Tuesday) we are selling at N9,000 and N10,000 depending on the weight and size.

‘‘For big size of boilers which we sold for N3,000 and N3,500 last year, as at today we are selling them for N5,000 and N6,000.

‘‘We did not plan to increase the price of chicken on our own but the increase is due to the increase in the cost of feeding them,” Okorie said.

Also, Mr Vincent Ograka of Unique Poultry Farm in Ugbolu in Oshimili North Local Government Area of the state, said, ‘‘If we really want to go with the way we spend money on feeding the chicken this year, we will not sell a boiler less than N7000.

‘‘The cost of feeds has increased and the stress of managing the poultry is much; managing chicken from starter stage to finishing stage is a big job, ” Ograka said.

NAN also reports that the hike did not only affect the price of chicken but also the prices of killing and processing of the chicken.

The price of processing a big size chicken is now between N200 and N250 as against N150 in the previous year.

According to Jude Ikenna who processes chicken at Ogbeogonogo Market in Asaba, “we have to increase the price of killing and processing chicken because the pressure and demand for the service have also increased.

‘‘On a normal day, we collect N100and N150, depending on the size, but because of the season we have increased our charges to N200 and N250,’’ he said.