Telangana Chicken Shops To Shut From Tomorrow, Owners Demand Higher Retail Margin
The association’s primary demand is to increase the retail margin on chicken from Rs 26 to Rs 30 per kilogram.
Published : March 31, 2026 at 7:11 PM IST
Hyderabad: The Telangana Chicken Shops Owners Association has decided to close shops across the state from tomorrow and stage a “Mahadharna” at Indira Park in Hyderabad on Wednesday to press for their demands. The proposal for protest follows a meeting of the State Retail Shop Owners Association held in Tarnaka on Tuesday.
The association’s primary demand is to increase the retail margin on chicken from Rs 26 to Rs 30 per kilogram. Shop owners argue that the current margin is insufficient to sustain their businesses amid rising operational costs.
The association stated that shop rents, workers’ wages, electricity bills, and transportation costs are increasing and that the existing commission structure is unfair, and there are continuous losses for small retailers.
Shop owners have announced that all outlets will remain closed from 9 am onwards on the first day of the protest, while a large number of members from across districts are expected to participate in the dharna.
The association has urged both the state government and poultry companies to intervene and address their concerns. They said that continued neglect could force many small businesses to shut down permanently.
Association president Raju appealed to the public for support, stating that poultry companies have been reducing retail margins over the past two decades.
“Twenty years ago, worker salaries were around RS 5,000 – Rs 6,000. Today, we pay Rs 20,000 – Rs 25,000 per worker, with at least three workers in each shop. We are no longer in a position to even pay salaries,” he said.
He alleged that large poultry companies are attempting to push small retailers out of business by maintaining low margins.
Raju said that the protest at Indira Park will be peaceful, but the agitation will continue until a fair margin is granted.
“We are only asking for a Rs 4 increase per kilogram. Small shop owners have minimal demands. The entire poultry sector has become corporatised, and we are struggling to survive,” he said.
He also urged poultry companies to ensure a stable pricing system and warned that the association would expose alleged irregularities by some firms during the protest.
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