NEWSFLASH

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ELECTION MAKES CHICKEN RARE

Manila, May 14, 1998 - Chicken has disappeared from supermarkets and public market stalls in Metro Manila, and the Department of Trade says election spending is to blame.

Assistant Trade Secretary Zenaida Maglaya said it is possible the reported shortage is due to rich candidates buying up all the supply for their followers over the weekend.

"It's possible that demand peaked over the last weekend, but we see this as temporary," Maglaya said. "The demand could taper off by this weekend."

In Metro Manila alone, chicken consumption is estimated to be 500,000 pieces daily.

As a result of the scarcity of supply, chicken prices have gone up considerably. Whole, dressed chicken now costs P85-P90 per kilo in supermarkets, P80-P85 per kilo in wet markets.

Another factor that may have been responsible for the reduced supply of chicken is the heat wave. With outside temperatures soaring to 38 degrees, poultry growers are finding it difficult to produce chicken meeting the weight requirement of 1.4 to 1.6 kilos per piece for supermarkets.

Chicken raisers say they need cooler temperatures to gain weight. Heat stunts their growth, and they end up being slaughtered for the public markets instead, where chicken of all sizes could be sold.

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