Economic Reporter :
The prices of broiler chicken and coarse rice have increased in the city markets, hitting the commoners hard.
The price of broiler chicken showed a downtrend after Eid-ul-Fitr festival last month. But it reached the price level during the pre-Eid period.
Broiler chicken, considered as the key protein source for low income people, was retailed at Tk 160-Tk 175 per kilogram in different areas of the city on Monday. It was traded at Tk 130-Tk 145 a kg few days back.
The state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) recorded, on average, 20 per cent hike in the broiler chicken price in last seven days.
Traders attributed the hike to closure of many poultry farms in some districts following a drop in the demand for chicken during the 45-day holiday announced by the government to contain the spread of corona virus pandemic.
Heavy rain in many districts in recent times also caused a supply disruption, they said.
Habitué Raman, a chicken vendor at Jafrabadin Rayebazar, said the prices of broiler chicken started increasing from Sunday after remaining static for last two weeks.
The prices of broiler birds were Tk 150-Tk 152 a kg at farmers’ level in Sirajganj, Tangail, Gazipur, Savar, Keraniganj, Dhamrai and Cumilla which was Tk 125-Tk 128 a kg on Saturday, he added. However, poultry farmers said there is a shortage of day-oldchick (DOC) as many big farms stopped hatching DOCs due to falling demand.
Scarcity of DOCs is also leading to hike in prices, said Abdul Jalil Sujan, a poultry farm owner at Dhamrai upazila in Dhaka.
They were collecting DOCs at Tk 55-Tk 60 a piece now which was maximum Tk 30 per piece, he said, adding that production cost of a broiler chicken is minimum Tk 135 per kg now.
