The government will investigate exactly why consumers have to buy chicken for Tk 250 per kg even though the food item’s production cost is around Tk 160, and figure out what the problem is in the market at all levels from producers to retailers.
Authorities will also scrutinise what should be the reasonable price of chicken, and how much profit can be made.
In this regard, the National Directorate of Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) will submit a market report to the Bangladesh Competition Commission and the Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission.
DNCRP Director General Shafiquzzaman made this disclosure at a meeting participated by wholesale and retail traders of poultry, held at the directorate headquarters in Dhaka on Thursday.
The country's broiler chicken market has been unstable for several days, and the prices are not decreasing at all. Due to an alleged shortage of supply, the sellers are rampantly increasing the prices of chicken. The chicken market has become unregulated, insiders say.
This week the price of broiler chicken in Karwan Bazar rose to Tk 250 per kg, and the price of Sonali chicken reached Tk 340 per kg.
Safiquzzaman said at Thursday’s meeting, “After the increase in the prices of chicken and eggs, we raided the market. We found some irregularities. I will release a report in this regard to the Competition Commission and Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission.
“They will analyse the cost and come up with a reasonable price. But we will not set the prices. Instead, the prices will be fixed by traders, and we will see to it that they are reasonable, and the food item is being in the market accordingly.”
He continued, “There are irregularities in the retail and wholesale markets of chicken. There is no receipt for purchases and sales. They [traders] do not want to obey any government directives.
“If the word of the market committee is not followed, there is no need to have such a committee. If this continues, there will be a recommendation to abolish the market committee of the Ministry of Commerce.”
Bangladesh Shop Owners Association President Helal Uddin, and representatives from the Consumer Association of Bangladesh (CAB), the Ministry of Animal Resources, and wholesale and retail traders of chicken were present at the meeting.
