Bangladesh Poultry Association (BPA) has urged the government to stop the import of eggs to protect the country's marginal poultry farmers.
"To reduce the cost of production of eggs and chickens, the price of poultry feed and chicks should be reduced. If necessary, chicks should be imported. Egg imports should be stopped to protect marginal poultry farmers," BPA President Sumon Hawladar said at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) on Tuesday.
"Corporate groups get 50 percent to 200 percent profit in feed and chicks and marginal farmers have to sell eggs and chickens at a loss," he added. "We have to reduce the cost of production. The government should keep this in mind, to reduce the price of eggs and chickens, corporate syndicates should be broken," Sumon Hawladar said.
He said production cost of an egg in Bangladesh is Tk10-11, the price of chicks is Tk35 and the production cost of 1kg broiler chicken is Tk167.
If chicken price increases, the cost of production increases, production cost of eggs and chicken in Bangladesh is double compared to India. If the price of poultry feed and chicks is not reduced, the price of egg chicken will never come down," he added.
He further said: "Instead of importing, corporate syndicate should be broken and arrangements should be made to import poultry feed and chicks for marginal farmers, then relief will come back to egg and chicken market. The price of each egg will be Tk8."
"Bangladesh is self-sufficient in egg and chicken production. So it is time for us to export eggs and chickens instead of importing eggs," the BPA president added. He said 50-60 lakh farmers are directly and indirectly involved in poultry industry, and import of eggs should be stopped in order to protect them.
Amidst soaring egg prices, consumers in Bangladesh are set to experience some relief as the government has given permission to import eggs.
Importers have confirmed poultry eggs will be available for purchase at Tk9-10 each at retail level. On 17 September this year, the Ministry of Commerce authorised four business entities to import a total of four crore eggs, aiming to stabilise the volatile egg market.
The four authorised importers include Mim Enterprise, Tiger Enterprise, Prime Energy, and Arnob Trading, each was given permission to import one crore eggs.
on 21 September, the government allowed six more companies to import eggs. The companies which were given permission are: Cheese Gallery, Popular Trade Syndicate, M/S Ripa Enterprise, S M Corporation, BDS Corporation and M/s Joynur Traders.
Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim previously said the price of eggs should not be more than Tk12 a piece at retail level as production cost per egg is around Tk10.50.
This decision to permit egg imports came in response to traders demand who ignored the government's call to adhere to fixed pricing. Despite the government setting retail price for egg at Tk12, eggs continue selling in Dhaka at Tk12.50 or even higher.
