Irish consumers affected by increased chicken prices

According to the Irish Poultry Processors, the hike of feed grain prices together with the expense of packaging is the reason why the prices are rising.

“We are aware the price of grain on a global level has increased dramatically and it is understandable that it would affect the price of chicken,” said Dermot Jewell, chief of Consumers Association of Ireland. He continued in saying that it needs to be asked whether consumers are covering the increased price of grain or if retailers, processors or distributors have added on extra money, at the cost of the consumer and a profit for them. “If that is the case then we have a real problem as it will affect inflation,” he said, adding that it will also affect affordability for consumers “which is not acceptable”.

Irish chickens are fed primarily on a diet of wheat, but the global supply of wheat decreasing and the demand for the product increasing, resulting in dramatic rises in the wholesale cost of wheat.

“Current chicken prices are unsustainable, and so the chicken industry has no option but to pass on these cost increases that it has incurred for a number of months,” said a spokesman for the Irish Poultry Processors.