NSCP threatens boycott over poultry price surge

AMMAN — The National Society of Consumer Protection (NSCP) said that it has been receiving complaints from citizens reporting a surge in the prices of poultry products. 

In a statement sent to The Jordan Times, NSCP President Mohammad Obeidat called for the government to institute a price ceiling for chicken products. 

The current “exaggerated” prices do not align with poultry industries production costs during this time of year, Obeidat said.

“We’ve received hundreds of compliments over the past week from citizens across various governorates who expressed their dissatisfaction in the notable surge in the prices of this essential food item, which is often considered an affordable alternative to red meat,” he added. 

According to complaints received by the NSCP, plucked chicken is currently sold for JD1.70 to JD1.90 per kilo in all governorates, and is being sold for JD2 in some areas inside the capital. The price of fresh chicken has exceeded JD2.50 per kilo, the NSCP reported. 

If prices remain this high, the NSCP will resort to staging a boycott, Obeidat said, noting the need to increase control and supervisory efforts over markets to prevent any “price manipulation”. 

Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply and Minister of Labour Yousef Al Shamali on Saturday conducted visits to various markets to assess the availability and prices of poultry products, according to Al Mamlaka TV. 

According to Shamali, the ministry’s investigations revealed that the increase in prices was caused by the death of a large quantity of chickens following fluctuating weather conditions.

Director-General of the Jordanian Farmers Union Mahmoud Oran attributed the increase in poultry prices to the relative absence of smallholder poultry producers. 

Oran told The Jordan Times that weather fluctuations disproportionately impact small-scale farmers who keep their poultry in open hangars, as large farms usually keep their poultry in closed spaces. 

Weather challenges, rising fodder prices and mounting debts have lead to the gradual disappearance of small farms, Oran added.

This allowed a small number of corporate farms to “mobilise” the market and control prices, he said. 

For Oran, instituting price ceilings “isn’t enough” to regulate the market, as many sellers have found ways to avoid adhering to the regulation.

“For example, chicken with removed unwanted bits, or pre-carved and boneless chicken, aren’t subject to price ceilings,” Oran explained.