Chicken consumption sees spike this Ramadan

AMMAN — This Ramadan, poultry consumption has seen an uptick, and is “relatively high” compared with previous years, according to Abdel Shakour Jamjoum, president of Poultry Investors Association.

“The current increase in chicken consumption resulted due to the lower retail price of chicken compared with other types of meat. Other reasons include the overall increase in food consumption during Ramadan, a time in which chicken is one of the essential foods,” Jamjoum told The Jordan Times on Wednesday.

He noted that chicken production increased to meet the demands of the local market, noting that producers brought additional flocks of broilers to farms.

Daily poultry production amounted to about 800,000 chickens this Ramadan, a 25 per cent increase compared with other days of the year, he added. 

“There are around 2,000 chicken farms across the Kingdom,” Jamjoum stated.

“Chicken consumption has indeed experienced sustained growth this Ramadan. Maybe one of the reasons is the government’s keenness to ensure that all are adhering to the price ceilings, especially following the chicken shortage crisis,” Mohammed Hussein, a Jordanian working at a chicken chain store, told The Jordan Times.

This has “for sure” encouraged citizens to buy chicken, he added, noting that demand for chicken increased by 30-40 per cent at the store where he is employed.

“We increased our poultry consumption to twice a week. It is a cheaper option and is our number one protein source,” Najla Samah, 37, told The Jordan Times.