Monday 18 May 2009

Bhutan : Prices of Boneless beef and dried pork fixed

May 17: The meat price regulating committee and meat vendors in the capital met again on Friday. This time the meeting was held to fix the price for boneless beef and dried pork.

Last Monday, the meat price regulating committee and meat vendors in Thimphu met and fixed the price for beef, pork, and one variety of fish.

However, the meeting did not fix the price for boneless beef, dried pork, and other varieties of fish. It was left to free market forces.

Meat vendors were not happy. Before the meeting was convened, they could charge any price they deemed fit for any meat. The meeting not only fixed the price of beef, pork, and one variety of fish, it decided that anybody found charging more than the fixed price would be fined. But they found a loophole.

Since the price of boneless beef and dried pork were not fixed, they increased the price. Not only that, they converted most of their supply of pork into dried pork and beef into boneless beef.

The price of boneless beef rose overnight from Nu. 160-200, an increase of Nu. 40 a kilogram.

The price of dried pork shot up by Nu. 200-500 per kilogram.

This prompted the meat price regulating committee to call for another meeting yesterday.

The meeting fixed the price of dried pork at Nu. 300 a kilogram and that of beef at Nu. 160 a kilogram.

The department of trade said the new price will remain in force till the beginning of the fourth Bhutanese month during which the sale of meat is banned. In the meantime, trade officials will meet meat suppliers in Jaigon, India to discuss and finalize the price.

www.bbs.com.bt

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