Local kosher chicken prices: much to crow about

ADAM MIDZUK

Johannesburg ranks comparatively among the best-priced kosher chicken in the world. However, it is certainly not the cheapest when compared to non-kosher chicken in the same city.

The SA Jewish Report did an Internet spin around the world, looking at how our kosher and non-kosher chickens compare to those in London, Paris, New York, Melbourne, Toronto and Buenos Aires.

While prices varied, we did our best to find the most average-priced fare in the cities, both kosher and non-kosher.

Our kosher chicken was the cheapest of the sample at R80 per kg. This was followed closely in second and third position by London and Toronto, with prices equating to R82,98 and R88,90 per kg respectively. The most expensive kosher chicken came from Paris, costing the equivalent of R161,58 per kg.

Kosher chicken was also rather expensive elsewhere, ranging from R111,07 per kg in Buenos Aires to roughly R130 per kg in Melbourne and New York.

When it comes to ranking how expensive kosher chicken prices are compared to non-kosher chicken, Toronto wins first place for being the most reasonably priced. There, a whole kosher chicken costs 23 per cent more per kg than a non-kosher bird.

While Paris has the most expensive kosher chicken in terms of absolute price, compared to non-kosher chicken it was only 68 per cent more expensive. This puts it in second place for reasonable pricing.

By comparison, kosher chicken in Johannesburg costs 145 per cent more – about 2.5 times the price of non-kosher chicken, fourth best, behind London at 88 per cent.

Nonetheless, the price hike on Johannesburg kosher chicken, pales with those of New York, where a single kosher chicken can cost close to five times as much as a Perdue-brand whole chicken.

Almost as expensive are Melbourne and Buenos Aires, where kosher prices are upwards of triple the supermarket price of non-kosher chickens.