January 4: The price of poultry feed has skyrocketed due to increase in the prices of raw materials such as maize, soybeans and feed supplements. As the price of such commodities has increased in the international market, the price of poultry feed has also increased in the Nepali market.   

The Nepal Grain Industries Association has stated that the price has been increased by Rs 6 per kg. President of the association, Rabin Puri informed that the price of B-0 poultry feed has been fixed at Rs 84 per kg and B-1 at Rs 82 per kg. Accordingly, the price of B-2 grain has been fixed at Rs 80 per kg and B-3 grain at Rs 78 per kg. 

According to him, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the world economy has led to increase in the price of all the raw materials used to make poultry feeds as well as vitamins and medicines by 25 to 30 percent.  

In the last one year, the price of soybean has increased by Rs 55 per kg from Rs 50 per kg to Rs 105 per kg. Likewise, the price of maize has also increased by Rs 10 per kg. 

According to traders, the recent rise in consumption of raw materials including soybeans by the Chinese traders might have led to a shortage in other countries. About 80 percent of the maize and about 99 percent of the soybean required for grain production in Nepal are imported from countries including the United States, Brazil and India. 

The price of chicken has also gone up as the price of grains has been steadily rising. Jung Bahadur BC, president of National Meat Entrepreneurs Association said that the price of chicken meat has gone up from Rs 330 per kg to Rs 345 per kg. However, based on the increase in the price of grains, the farmers are of the view that the price of chicken meat should be around Rs 400 per kg. Stakeholders point out that small farmers are most affected by skyrocketing grain prices.