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Chicken shops in Telangana will be shut from Wednesday, April 1, following a protest by traders demonstrating against shrinking margins and demanding price revisions in commissions amid rising costs. The Telangana State Chicken Shop Owners Association and chicken shop owners plan on protesting against the rising prices as part of a state-wide ‘mahadharna’.
“Chicken traders are falling victim to the tyranny of poultry companies that do not give us a margin. This has led us to a situation where we cannot do business without profits. In protest of this, we are closing our shops from April 1 indefinitely until the reduced margin is corrected. Please cooperate,” a notice from the Telangana State Chicken Shop Owners Association read.
Speaking to local media, association president Gaddameedi Raju said retailers are seeking an increase in prices from Rs 26 to Rs 40 per kilo owing to a steep rise in operational costs, including electricity, labour and transportation costs. Association leaders have also stated that for the last two decades, poultry companies have maintained a steady margin of Rs 26 per kg for retail traders that was recently slashed to Rs 16 per kg.
The association urged the Telangana government and poultry firms to revise the commission structure and ensure stable pricing. Nearly 2.5 lakh shop owners are expected to join the strike.
The association has warned that the bandh will remain in force until poultry firms respond to their demands and the Telangana government intervenes to resolve the problem between poultry companies and small-scale retail shop owners.