Cold store operators as well as patrons of cold store products have cited the high cost of poultry birds as the main reason why consumers prefer cold store meat to live poultry. This is against the assertion of most poultry farmers that the bird flu influenza was the main driving force preventing consumers of poultry products from patronizing live chicken.
Speaking to some cold store operators as well as consumers within the Yilo Krobo municipality, they noted while a full bird of frozen chicken costs between Gh 15 and Gh c 17, a live bird of a similar size sells sbout Gh c 40.
Some farmers had in earlier interviews with Rite FM indicated that the activities of cold stores were taking a toll on their fortunes especially in the wake of the Avian Influenza as consumers afraid of the effects of the disease preferred to consumes poultry products from the cold stores. This according to them was because consumers found meat from the cold stores safer as against the live birds.
Some consumers also told Rite news that they preferred the cold stores because they could get any part of the chicken and not necessarily the full bird as is the case with the live birds.
Source: ritefmonline.org
