Chicken prices hit record high in Japan, forcing changes to bento menus
TOKYO -- As prices for a wide range of foods continue to climb across Japan, chicken and eggs -- long regarded as affordable staples for budget-conscious consumers -- have also remained stubbornly expensive.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said June 16 that the average retail price of chicken thighs in June was 155 yen (about $1) per 100 grams, the highest level since comparable records began in 2003.
The rise in chicken prices has forced a growing number of restaurants and food manufacturers to either change their menus or raise prices. Many would rather avoid altering signature offerings for fear of losing customers, but for some, that is no longer an option.
Forced menu changes
"We couldn't raise prices, so we decided to replace ingredients."
That is how a spokesperson for Kiyoken Co., a food company based in Yokohama, described the situation.
The company partially changed the side dishes in its "Yokohama fried rice" bento on June 1. The meal sells for 890 yen (about $5.60), including tax.
The bento, popular among women and children, contains small portions of side dishes including shumai dumplings, simmered bamboo shoots and other items. But after chicken prices surged, Kiyoken replaced one of its most popular side dishes -- chicken in chili sauce -- with shrimp in chili sauce. It was the first menu revision in about 20 years.
Kiyoken had been using imported chicken from countries including Thailand. But "around March, when the situation in the Middle East worsened, we started seeing chicken prices rise," the spokesperson said.
The company had already raised prices for all of its bento products in February. Seeking to avoid further price hikes, it opted to change the ingredients instead.
An 86-year-old Yokohama woman who purchased the bento said she was surprised by the change but added, "It might be tasty with shrimp too," expressing understanding for businesses struggling with rising ingredient costs.
A 69-year-old woman from Tokyo's Toshima Ward sighed as she said, "My son works out and prefers chicken dishes, but chicken has become so expensive that I compare supermarket flyers and buy it wherever it's cheapest."
"Apart from ingredients, many other items, including packaging materials, are becoming more expensive," the Kiyoken spokesperson said. "Combined with the impact of exchange-rate fluctuations, we continue to feel the heavy burden of overall purchasing costs."
The company said it would continue seeking new chicken suppliers, including domestic producers, while weighing factors such as cost and quality.
Kentucky Fried Chicken Japan Ltd. raised the price of its flagship "Original Chicken" to 330 yen (about $2.10) per piece, including tax, in May. The increase marked the fourth price hike since June 2022.
So why are chicken prices so high?
Global demand for chicken has been rising amid changing dietary habits and growing health consciousness.
At a news conference following a Cabinet meeting June 2, Agriculture Minister Norikazu Suzuki said that rising demand was pushing up imported chicken prices and that some restaurant operators were switching to domestically produced chicken, adding upward pressure to market prices.
Masato Koike, a senior researcher at the think tank Sompo Institute Plus Inc., pointed to another factor.
"The recent situation in the Middle East has also pushed up feed and energy costs, adding upward pressure on chicken prices," he said.
Looking ahead, Koike said demand for relatively inexpensive chicken was likely to strengthen further as beef and pork prices also remained high.
"Chicken prices may remain flat or edge up slightly," he said.
Minister Suzuki said that chicken remained an affordable and indispensable source of animal protein for consumers and that the government would closely monitor supply and demand conditions and price trends to help ensure stable supplies.
Egg prices also remain high
It is not only chicken meat that has become more expensive. Egg prices have also remained high.
The ministry said June 16 that the average retail price of a mixed-size 10-egg pack was 309 yen (about $1.90), matching the record high reached in May.
The Japan Poultry Association said egg prices are likely to stabilize around this summer, when the number of egg-laying hens -- reduced by culls carried out during bird flu outbreaks -- is expected to return to normal levels.
It may take some time before chicken and eggs become affordable again. As inflation continues to strain household budgets, even chicken and eggs are beginning to lose their place as the last affordable staples for budget-conscious consumers.
Article source: https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20260619/p2a/00m/0bu/012000c
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