The Bangladesh Poultry Association on Saturday alleged that corporate companies and syndicate of wholesale businesses were manipulating the prices of eggs in the country.
BPA president Sumon Hawlader at a press conference held at the Dhaka Reporters Unity in the capital said that the association of wholesale egg businesses at Tejgaon in Dhaka and corporate companies were controlling the prices of the products and gaining additional profits.
He said some times the companies and traders’ syndicate decreased the prices of eggs on the market through short messaging services and at the same time they stored their products in the cold storages to create an artificial shortage of the item on the market.
But marginal farm owners were forced to sell eggs from their farms at low prices on the market and incurred huge losses, he said.
Sumon also said that after a few days, companies and wholesalers increased the prices abnormally and sold their stored items at high prices.
The BPA president demanded legal action against the syndicate and said that due to the manipulation small-scale farmers were losing their business.
Sumon said that the production cost of a one-day chick was Tk 30, but companies were selling it at up to Tk 120.
The BPA president also held the Department of Livestock Services responsible for the instability on the egg market.
He alleged that officials of the Department of Livestock Services never invited marginal farmers in any meeting, rather they preferred to protect the interest of corporate companies.
The BPA claimed that the market of poultry feed also remained under control of the corporate companies and they were selling the feed at high prices without disclosing the production cost.
Recently the price of eggs has witnessed a sharp rise to Tk 14 apiece from Tk 10 apiece.
Sumon, however, termed both the prices unusual, saying that the price of eggs should be Tk 12 apiece as the production cost of the item stood Tk 10 apiece.
The BPA urged the government to allocate a fund worth Tk 1,000 crore in the upcoming national budget for the financial year 2024-25 for the revival of the marginal poultry farmers in the country.