The price of Indian mutton has fallen by about SR2 per kg in some outlets in the Eastern Province that directly import the meat from India. Ibrahim, an Indian expatriate who has imported fresh mutton for many years and is the owner of the Bombay Mutton Shop near Dammam Shopping Center, said the decline was due to an increase in the supply of livestock from India. “Shipments arrive twice a week via air freight from India and Indian suppliers are ready to export whatever quantity we order them,” he said. “Earlier the demand was high for Indian mutton and the export supply was limited, but recently the goat farming business in India has grown which is one of the reasons for a reduction in the price of mutton,” Ibrahim, who has been selling fresh Indian mutton for the past 20 years in downtown Dammam, explained. At present, one kilo of fresh Indian mutton costs SR25 whereas earlier it was SR27. Most Indian and Pakistani expatriates purchase fresh mutton regularly. And most of them find it difficult to get fresh chicken due to the closure of live chicken stalls in the Kingdom a year ago because of bird flu. Meat importers say that the relatively short distance between the seaports of India and the Kingdom compared with those of other meat suppliers is advantageous to Indian meat exporters. It takes 32 days for ships from New Zealand and 20 days for ships from Australia, to reach Saudi Arabia, whereas from India ships reach the Kingdom in just 13 days. The price of frozen chicken has dropped significantly in the wholesale and local market. Reports are spreading about plummeting commodity prices in the international market. Both citizens and expatriates have been confused by the fluctuation in commodity prices. The prices of all brands of frozen chicken have dropped as much as 20 percent. However, the price of fresh chicken, mostly produced in local farms, still remains high, say retailers. Sadia chicken, which was selling for SR13 per kilogram, is now available for SR11 in major supermarkets and hypermarkets. Prices of other popular brands like Hilal and Doux have also dropped by SR7 per carton. Sunflower and corn oil have been reduced by up to SR4 per kg, and a carton of eggs which was recently selling for SR168, is now available for SR 143. Traders expect a fall in the price of other major food items with the arrival of new stocks in the market. Some brands of Basmati rice are already cheaper and the price of some other types of rice has fallen in the past two weeks. “The prices of Indian vegetables and other Indian imports are also expected to drop with the anticipated fall in freight charges,” wholesalers told Saudi Gazette.
