Kathmandu, July 5 -- Middlemen and suppliers are taking advantage of a fall in production of chicken and eggs to jack up prices in the Valley amidst a nationwide lockdown.

The price of chicken meat jumped to Rs430 per kg compared to Rs350 per kg last week. Similarly, a crate of eggs now costs Rs400, an increase of Rs50-60.

Janak Poudel, president of Poultry Producers Association said that the farm rate of a chicken is Rs260 per kg and consumers should not be paying more than Rs370 per kilo for the meat.

"Suppliers and middlemen have increased the prices unnecessarily on the pretext of shortage," he said, adding, "The market price is being fixed by traders for their benefit rather than farmers." He identified the Nepal Poultry Market Ma...