Get ready to pay for your nuggets - New Zealand's largest poultry supplier, Tegel, has announced it's raising chicken meat prices this month by roughly 10 percent.
The company blames "pressures on the industry" for the price rise, including "the cost of labour, feed and fuel impacting supply chain costs".
But Tegel's general manager of sales insists it will still be an "affordable family favourite".
"Kiwis have been enjoying low chicken prices since 2014 when chicken breast was $17 per kg, compared to as low as $7 today," said Yvonne Van Nes.
"This is the first across-the-board increase we have done in some time and it reflects the current cost of raising a chicken and distributing it to our network."
She said that even with the price rise, "Tegel chicken will continue to be a reasonably priced meal option for Kiwi families".
"Chicken was once a luxury protein but over time it has become the most affordable of the meat proteins," said Van Nes.
"Not surprisingly, New Zealanders are now eating more chicken than ever before."
While it still might be a more popular option for New Zealanders than red meat, a 2019 RNZ report revealed a third are cutting down on their overall meat consumption or not eating any at all
The survey of more than 1000 people found that 31 percent were limiting their meat intake, with a further three percent being fully vegetarian or vegan.
Health was cited as the most common reason people were cutting down on meat, followed by concern for the environment and animal welfare.
