Poultry farmers in Gazipur staged a protest by smashing hundreds of eggs on the Dhaka–Mymensingh Highway on Saturday, demanding fair prices for their produce and immediate government action against what they described as a syndicate manipulating the egg market.
Around 50 farmers, under the banner of the Shimultala Poultry Farmers Association of Kawrai, Sreepur, gathered at Jainabazar in Sreepur upazila at 11:30 am. They formed a human chain before breaking eggs on the highway to highlight the severe financial losses facing egg producers.
The demonstrators alleged that soaring prices of poultry feed, day-old chicks, and veterinary medicines have sharply increased production costs, while farm-gate egg prices have continued to decline. They claimed that each egg now costs Tk 9.80 to produce but is sold to wholesalers for only Tk 7.50, leaving farmers with a loss of around Tk 2.30 per egg.
According to the protesters, consumers continue to pay relatively high retail prices despite farmers receiving well below production costs, a situation they blamed on a syndicate of middlemen and large market players.
"It is better to smash eggs on the road than sell them to syndicate traders at throwaway prices," the farmers said before breaking hundreds of eggs on the highway.
The protesters carried placards reading, ‘Egg prices are causing farmers' losses,’ ‘Eating eggs provides nutrition—why are farmers in debt?’ and ‘Why have egg prices fallen? We demand answers.’ Another placard questioned how an egg could sell for Tk 7.50 when a quality cigarette costs Tk 23.
Farmer Russell Pradhan, from Lohai Bazar in Telihati Union, said farm workers labor around the clock to produce eggs, but the profits are being captured by traders.
"If the government fails to take immediate and effective action, Bangladesh's poultry industry will face a serious crisis," he said, warning that farmers could launch more stringent protests if their demands remain unmet.
The farmers said thousands of small-scale producers are struggling under mounting debt and many are on the verge of bankruptcy after incurring losses for the past six months. They urged the government to ensure a fair farm-gate price for eggs and dismantle the alleged syndicate controlling the market.
Abdul Matin, president of the Sreepur Upazila Poultry Farmers Association, said rising input costs have made egg production increasingly unsustainable.
"Prices of feed, chicks and medicines continue to rise, yet farmers are forced to sell eggs below production cost. We have been suffering losses for the last six months," he said.
Meanwhile, Md. Ashraf Hossain, Livestock Officer of Sreepur Upazila, said the upazila has approximately 350 commercial layer farms, employing around 1,000 workers. More than 100 poultry feed and medicine dealers operate in the area, while local farms produce roughly 1.3 million eggs daily.
The protesting farmers called on the government to intervene urgently to stabilize the market, dismantle alleged monopolistic practices, and protect both producers and consumers by ensuring fair pricing throughout the supply chain.
