Chicken, Egg Prices in Japan Hit Record Highs

Tokyo, June 17 (Jiji Press)–Retail prices of chicken and eggs in Japan in June rose to their highest levels since the agriculture ministry started collecting data in August 2003, the ministry said on Tuesday. The national average price of chicken rose 1 yen from the previous month to 155 yen per 100 grams. Demand for relatively inexpensive chicken has been solid amid soaring prices. Higher prices of imported chicken helped to lift demand for domestic products, pushing up overall chicken prices, the ministry said. The national average price of a packet of 10 eggs stood at 309 yen, matching the highest level marked in March and May, affected by a cull of chickens due to bird flu outbreaks. The ministry announced a package of measures to ensure a stable supply of eggs, whose prices often soar due to bird flu outbreaks. The measures include promoting chicken management methods to minimize culling and establishing a public-private study group on ways to detect infected chickens early. The monthly survey covers 470 stores across the country to calculate the average price. The latest survey was conducted on June 8-10. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]