Japan's Chicken Thigh Prices Hit Record High

Overview

• The Ministry of Agriculture published a price survey on Tuesday showing chicken thigh retail prices at 155 yen per 100 grams, the highest level in data comparable to 2003.
• Packaged eggs also remained at a record level of 309 yen for a 10-egg mixed-size pack, matching May's all-time high for a second month.
• The ministry attributes the rises mainly to a weak yen that raised the cost of imported feed and to stronger demand for relatively low-cost chicken as households try to save on groceries.
• Officials are considering creating a public-private review panel to discuss measures to stabilise supply, and policy work on that response is under way.
• The surge matters to households and farmers because Japan's poultry sector relies heavily on imported feed, so sustained currency-driven cost increases could change buying habits, squeeze farm incomes, and push up broader meat prices.