NPMC irked at escalating prices of chicken

ISLAMABAD: The National Price Monitoring Committee (NPMC) on Tuesday took an exception to the escalating prices of chicken and inquired from the Competition Commission of Pakistan about the reasons why it failed to accomplish its task of completing an inquiry on ghee/cooking oil prices.

The ECC had assigned a reference to the CCP for holding an inquiry into why the decreased prices of palm oil in the international market could not result in benefit to the consumers in terms of ghee/cooking oil prices in the country in the last August 2025. However, sources said the CCP replied that to unearth collusion, it requires evidence and their investigation is still underway.

The NPMC has remained unable to perform its role in an effective manner to curtail the prices. However, overall inflation had eased out, but recent floods pushed up the prices of food and commodities; now they have started decreasing. However, the chicken prices witnessed a surge, but the NPMC was informed that the input cost of this sector had gone up.

According to an official announcement made by the Planning Ministry on Tuesday, Planning Minister Prof Ahsan Iqbal chaired a meeting of the National Price Monitoring Committee (NPMC), noting that although general inflation has eased to 6.2 per cent from 7.2 per cent during the same period last year, recent upward pressures, largely driven by crop losses following the 2025 floods, require urgent, evidence-based intervention.

Reviewing current inflation dynamics with the Chief Economist, Chief Statistician, and representatives of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the minister directed all relevant departments to intensify measures for market stability, particularly by preparing advance supply plans for essential commodities required during Ramazan to prevent price volatility and ensure uninterrupted availability throughout the holy month. According to the inflation briefing presented by the PBS, the first two months of the fiscal year saw moderate inflation averaging around 3 per cent. However, a noticeable upward trend emerged in September and October as major crops sustained severe damage due to flooding, disrupting market supply chains and affecting wholesale and retail dynamics.

Food inflation, which had recorded negative growth by August, also rose in the subsequent months as supply constraints deepened. PBS officials further reported that key sectors including services, transport, education, health and food continued to exert pressure on the overall price structure.

Despite these challenges, the committee was informed that certain essential commodities such as onions, pulses, wheat and sugar were helping pull down the Sensitive Price Index (SPI), providing limited but important relief in some segments.

Speaking during the meeting, Ahsan emphasized that long-term price stabilization is closely tied to strengthening the country’s cold chain infrastructure. “Every perishable item in our markets is a live commodity.

Without proper cold chain systems, we cannot maintain stable supplies, especially for essential items such as poultry, tomatoes, and vegetables,” he stated.