Following the unprecedented rise in the prices of chicken meat in the West Bank Palestinian institutions and activists called on Saturday for boycotting chicken meat holding “big merchants” responsible for the crisis.
The farmer Khalil Masarawi a chicken breeder from Ramallah said that the rise was caused by the big merchants who control the market not by farmers pointing out that farmers are not able to meet the needs of the local market currently because of the high demand and low supply despite the high prices.
He pointed out that he as a farmer tries to employ the current rise in prices to pay off his debts which have accumulated as a result of the previous losses stressing that the big merchants (wholesalers) are the ones who benefit in all cases.
Hala Shamasneh a housewife from Ramallah complained about the high prices in general including the prices of vegetables and fruits not only the prices of chicken meat.
For his part the economic researcher Ahmad Abu Arqoub said that consumers as well as the middle income families are the most vulnerable in this crisis.
He explained that the West Bank market needs four million chickens per month while nearly two million and a half is only available.
Abu Arqoub predicted the boycott calls to succeed if they were supported by large sectors to force merchants to lower the prices calling for creating balance between the farmer and the consumer.
The Palestinian researcher believes that the Ministry of Agriculture should start importing chicken from other countries to end the crisis.
