A demand-supply mismatch induced by the fear of a bird flu outbreak and a long winter has pushed up the price of chicken in the city.

On Sunday, smaller broilers were selling for Rs 95 a kg and larger ones at Rs 92 a kg in New Market, the biggest wholesale market for chicken in West Bengal. At retail markets in the city, chicken was selling for Rs 105 to Rs 108 a kg.

Retailers confirmed the sharp hike in chicken prices in the past three weeks. “The increase is Rs 25 to Rs 30 per kg,” said Sheikh Babul, a retailer at Maniktala market.

Hatchery owners said the supply of chicken had fallen around 25 per cent because members of the West Bengal Poultry Federation had put hatching on hold for a number of days in late December, fearing a rerun of the avian influenza that broke out around this time in the past two years.

“If production is less, there would be less birds to cull in case there was a bird flu scare,” said Ismail Khan, the general secretary of the New Market Poultry Association.

Another reason for less supply was the long spell of winter. “Extreme temperatures are not good for rearing poultry,” said Khan.

According to wholesalers, prices will not dip for a month.