With the cooperation of corporate farmers, egg prices in the capital have returned to near-normal levels, according to the National Consumer Rights Protection Directorate.
According to the daily price list of the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), the price of eggs has decreased from Tk60 per half-dozen to Tk48-Tk52.
In some areas, however, eggs are still being sold at higher prices than the government-mandated rates, which requires intervention from market monitoring agencies to control, said a media statement.
The Bangladesh Poultry Industries Central Council (BPICC), which coordinates egg supplies at Kaptan Bazar and Tejgaon wholesale markets, said that obstacles in direct supply of eggs from farms to wholesale markets arise due to factors like non-cooperation from some large farms, intermediaries purchasing eggs at higher prices from small and medium farms, and certain local groups attempting to seize eggs through intimidation.
Wholesalers at Kaptan Bazar and Tejgaon reported that while eggs are sold at government-mandated prices in these two markets, other markets have higher prices.
In Tejgaon, egg consignments mainly come from small and medium farms.
However, due to selling eggs at higher prices in district towns, small and medium farms have stopped supplying eggs to them.
These issues were discussed in a review meeting held at the BPICC office today on the ongoing egg sales activities in the capital's two wholesale markets.
Haji Md Mostafizur Rahman, owner of Mostafiz Traders in Kaptan Bazar, said that they haven’t received any eggs from several major farms, including Afil Agro, Pran Agro, Krishibid Poultry, Aman Poultry, Arminta Poultry, and Dilruba Poultry.
On the other hand, Md Amanat Ullah, president of the Tejgaon Egg Traders Multipurpose Cooperative Society, said that if the supply from small and medium farms does not normalize, it will not be possible to meet the demand of nearly 20 million people in Dhaka with only corporate farm eggs.
Therefore, it is necessary to quickly restore egg supplies from nearby districts like Tangail, Gazipur, Kishoreganj, Narsingdi, and Narayanganj to meet Dhaka’s needs, and district and upazila administrations need to take effective measures to curb the influence of intermediaries at the local level.
Mahabubur Rahman, president of the Breeders Association of Bangladesh, said that most corporate farms are located outside Dhaka in various district towns.
The district administrations want to fulfill local demand first before sending eggs to other districts.
He said that a meeting was held at the National Consumer Rights Protection Directorate on Wednesday, where it was decided to request the Commerce Ministry to arrange discussion meetings involving deputy commissioners, livestock officers, local egg producers, and small farmers.
Rafiqul Islam Babu, Director of Nourish Poultry & Hatchery, said that if the government-regulated prices are maintained in district towns, intermediaries will not be able to take undue advantage.
Kazi Zahin Hasan, Director of Kazi Farms, said that many farms were damaged in recent floods, reducing egg production. The same situation arose after the floods in 2023.
In any competitive market, when supply decreases, prices rise—it’s only natural.
Thousands of farmers sell eggs every day, so any claims of a syndicate are just imaginary.
He added that the positive news is that affected farmers are starting to raise chicks again, and broiler chicken production is expected to normalize within the next month, although it will take a few more months for egg production to return to normal.
Zahin Hasan said that although it will take some time for domestic egg production to increase, everyone needs to work more sincerely for the greater good of the country and its people and take action against those selling eggs at high prices.
He also believes there is a need to consider importing eggs temporarily to manage the crisis.
Md Asaduzzaman Mezbah, CEO of Diamond Egg Ltd, said that the current program’s tenure will end tomorrow, but it should be extended for another two weeks for the benefit of consumers.
Everyone present at the meeting supported this opinion.
Debashis Nag, Secretary of Bangladesh Poultry Industries Central Council (BPICC), said there is a discrepancy in the data on actual production of eggs and chickens.
There is a big difference between government data and private data, leading to confusion among the government, media, and consumers.
To resolve this issue, it is necessary for the Directorate of Livestock to conduct a field survey as soon as possible.
On October 17 at Kaptan Bazar and October 18 at Tejgaon wholesale market, a special two-week program to sell eggs at government-set prices began.
