The country’s poultry industry is facing a major disaster

❐ Special Correspondent

The country’s poultry sector was slowly trying to recover from the shock of Corona and the impact of the Ukraine war. However, in recent times, the industry has faced disaster again due to various crises at once. Currently, the cost of production has increased drastically due to the fuel crisis, prolonged load shedding, rising prices of imported raw materials, diseases, increased transportation costs, and tax and duty pressure.

The impact of this has already been felt in the market. The prices of eggs and chicken are increasing rapidly and are going beyond the reach of the common man.

Those involved in the sector said that uninterrupted power supply is very important for poultry farms. But load shedding is happening in different parts of the country for 8 to 12 hours every day. As a result, farmers have become dependent on generators, which have become expensive due to the high price of fuel oil. This is severely affecting broiler chick production. Due to the inability to maintain the right temperature, production is decreasing and the quality of the chicks is also deteriorating. Poultry farmers are facing darkness due to various crises.

Meanwhile, the price of poultry feed is also increasing uncontrollably. About 75-80 percent of the production cost is spent on feed. The cost of feed has increased due to the increase in the price of corn and soybeans in the international market. The cost of production has almost doubled in the last few years. At the same time, the cost of transportation has also increased due to the increase in the price of fuel oil, which is ultimately reflected in the price of the product.

The price of eggs and chicken has increased due to the decrease in supply in the market. In a span of a month, the price of eggs has increased by about 30 taka per dozen. This picture has been observed all over the country. This has also led to changes in the eating habits of the common people.

Chicken prices have also increased significantly, especially the price of domestic chicken has become the same as beef. Farmers claim that even though they sell at low prices, the retail market is charging high prices, which indicates the weakness of market management.

On the other hand, diseases have also become a major problem. Many farms have lost chickens due to cholera, Ranikhet, and bird flu. This has reduced production and many farmers are reluctant to invest in new ones.

Businessmen in the sector believe that the increase in taxes and duties has also exacerbated the crisis. The increase in various duties, including the increase in corporate tax in the poultry sector, has increased production costs. They believe that to sustain the sector, it is necessary to reduce taxes on food and raw materials and increase government incentives.

Concerned people are warning that if effective action is not taken quickly, the poultry industry could collapse, which would also pose a threat to the country’s nutritional security.

BPI Secretary General Md. Safir Rahman said, “No one will make new investments in this sector unless facilities are provided in the next budget. Entrepreneurs may move to other sectors. The prices of eggs and chicken may go beyond the reach of buyers.”