The prices of eggs slightly decreased on Wednesday as supply of the product on the capital鈥檚 wholesale market was returning to normalcy, however, the prices still remained high on the capital鈥檚 kitchen markets.
Large egg-producing companies assured wholesale traders that they would supply 20 lakh eggs on Thursday at Tejgaon and Kaptan Bazar wholesale markets in the capital.
They said that some large egg-producing companies would supply the item on their own initiative at Tk 10.91 apiece.
The egg merchants鈥� will then ensure that, at the consumer level, the eggs are sold for Tk 12 apiece.
Retailers said that egg prices would decrease more if the supply of eggs continued.
According to a press release by the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection, direct sale of eggs at government-set rate from producers to dealers will be launched through a programme on Thursday night at Kaptan Bazar in Dhaka.
Md Alim Akhter Khan, director general of DNCRP, would inaugurate the programme, it said.
Wholesalers of eggs said that they bought eggs at Tk 12 apiece from the farmers on Tuesday night and sold them at Tk 12.20-12.30 apiece on Wednesday.
Prices of eggs were Tk 13-14 apiece and Tk 156-170 per dozen at the retail level on Wednesday.
The prices decreased by about Tk 20 per dozen compared with that on the previous day.
Traders said that large egg-producing companies did not deliver eggs at Tejgaon wholesale market on Tuesday.
The DNCRP on Tuesday announced that eggs would be sold at government-set prices starting from Wednesday.
Following a meeting with egg producers and suppliers on the day, director general of DNCRP Md Alim Akhter Khan told reporters that traders had agreed to sell eggs at the prices determined by the Department of Livestock Services.
Alim attributed the recent volatility in egg prices to the role of middlemen and stated that the government was taking steps to curb their influence.
In the meeting with the egg merchants, it was decided that egg producing companies and small farmers will send eggs directly to the wholesale market at the government-set prices to eliminate the middleman.
As a result, from Wednesday, the price of eggs will be Tk 142.44 a dozen, he said.
On September 15, the Department of Livestock Services set the price of eggs at Tk 10.91 apiece at production level, Tk 11.10 apiece at wholesale level and Tk 11.87 apiece at retail level.
However, immediately after this official price was set, egg price surged on the market, with the commodity selling for Tk 15 apiece on city markets over the past few days.
In response to these price controls by the government, the Tejgaon Egg Merchants鈥� Association temporarily halted egg sales, 鈥榝earing raids鈥� by the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection.
This decision raised concerns over a potential shortage of eggs on the Dhaka market.
Due to the disruption, most traders refrained from selling eggs on Monday, causing prices to surge by Tk 10-15 per dozen.
Traders explained that they were forced to sell eggs at higher prices than the government-set rate because they themselves had to purchase them at elevated costs.