Amid the ongoing instability in the country’s poultry industry, corporate producers in the poultry sector have come up with seven recommendations to restore order and reduce the production costs of eggs and chickens.
In their recommendations, the Bangladesh Poultry Industries Central Council (BPICC) sought the central bank’s direction for easy LC facility, import facility through Green Channel like RMG sector, evaluation of imported raw materials by HS code.
The suggestions said Customs should refrain from detaining and penalizing goods, and imported poultry products should have opportunities like garments. Sunflower seed meal, millet, peanuts and alternative raw materials of poultry feed should be included in the duty-free products of SRO.
Besides, the government should strengthen monitoring and the farmers should be encouraged to increase the cultivation of maize, soybeans and other raw materials.
BPICC placed the recommendations in a seminar organised at the Economic Reporters Association (ERF) auditorium in the capital on Thursday to protect the marginal farmers.
The Council also said the authorities should adjust the rational prices of eggs and chickens every month.
Currently, a single egg is sold at only Rs 7 in the neighboring country India while in Bangladesh consumers have to pay Tk 14-15 for each egg. Explaining this big difference, BPICC leaders said India produces alternative ingredients of poultry feed. At the same time, India also produces raw materials to make poultry feed which potentially reduces their production costs.
The prices of poultry feed will reduce up to a minimum of Tk 3 per kg, if Bangladesh can import those alternative feed ingredients from India, they said.
BPICC President Shamsul Arefin Khaled said “Most of the farmers incurred losses in 2022 and 2023 and were forced to sell their products at a lower price. The middlemen have made unfair profits while farmers suffered a lot.” He sought the Prime Minister’s intervention to bring stability to the poultry sector.
On the other hand, Breeders Association of Bangladesh (BAB) President Kazi Zahin said that no one determines the prices of eggs and chicken, it depends on the market demand and supply. Those who say that corporations and large institutions control prices by stockpiling have got it wrong. Because the share of corporate producers in the market is only 15 per cent and the remaining 85 per cent is controlled by the small and marginal farmers.
Feed Industries Association Bangladesh (FIAB) General Secretary Nazrul Islam said, that due to the effect of the Ukraine-Russia war, the prices of corn, soybean meal and other materials for making poultry feed and medicines have increased uncontrollably.
Over the past few weeks, the prices of eggs witnessed unnatural hikes plunging many middle and low-income families into financial hardship despite the government’s trying to tackle the effects of the inflation through various measures.
The government would import eggs if the price of the affordable source of animal protein keeps an upward trend, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi said on August 14. He said initiatives will be taken to import eggs immediately after getting the go-ahead from the livestock ministry.
