There is bad news for non-veg people in Telangana. In protest against decreasing profits and increasing costs, chicken shopkeepers across the state have decided to close their shops from April 1, due to which there is a huge shortage of chicken in the markets. On the call of Telangana State Chicken Shop Owners Association, chicken shopkeepers across the state have gone on strike under ‘Maha Dharna’. Shopkeepers say that due to low margins given by poultry companies, their business is in trouble and running the shop has become difficult in the current circumstances.
Why are chicken shopkeepers protesting?
In the notice issued by the association, it has been said that chicken traders have been victims of the arbitrariness of the companies for a long time. They are not getting enough profits, due to which they are becoming financially weak. In protest against this, an indefinite bandh has been announced from April 1. Association President Gaddamidi Raju told local media that for the last two decades, retailers were getting a margin of around Rs 26 per kg of chicken, but recently it has been reduced to around Rs 16, which has directly affected the business.
Shopkeepers demanding increase in margin
He said that there has been a huge increase in electricity, labor and transportation costs, so it is not possible to operate on the current margins. He has demanded that the margin on chicken per kg should be increased to Rs 40, so that shopkeepers can meet their expenses and continue their business. They also warned that the strike would continue until a positive decision was taken on their demands.
Lakhs of shopkeepers will join the strike
About 2.5 lakh chicken shopkeepers are likely to participate in this strike, due to which the supply chain may also be affected. The availability of chicken in the markets has reduced and fluctuations in prices are being seen. The association has appealed to the state government and poultry companies to resolve this issue as soon as possible and implement a balanced price system. If steps are not taken in time, it can have a serious impact on common consumers as well as small traders.