A social media campaign is encouraging shoppers in Saudi Arabia to stop buying chicken in protest at price hikes of up to 40 per cent.

The Twitter movement – entitled "Let it Rot" – asks Saudi citizens to punish traders for raising the price of chicken in recent weeks.

The Saudi Agriculture Minister, Dr Fahad Balghunaim, blamed the price rise on a production shortfall. He said suppliers could only meet about 45 per cent of demand due to a rise in the cost of animal feed.

The Saudi government has blocked the export of chickens in an attempt to stem the shortfall, but the move has sparked fears that prices will rise across the region.