Staff Reporter :
Lack of market monitoring by the concerned authorities, a big and powerful chicken and egg syndicate has looted about Tk 520 crore in two weeks from the market by increasing the prices of eggs and chickens.
Bangladesh Poultry Association (BPA) leaders alleged that the owners of the small poultry farms are helpless to this powerful syndicate which is controlling the chicken and egg market in a free style. They have made the allegation in a press conference at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity in the capital.
Contrarily, Poultry Industries Coordination Committee (BPICC) has denied such allegation saying that the prices of eggs went up due to the price hike of the fuels.
Meanwhile, BPA leaders said that some 12 local and foreign companies earned a profit of Tk112 crore from eggs in the last 15 days, while they made another profit of Tk234 from the sale of chicks and Tk172 from broiler chickens.
BPA President Sumon Howladar said, “The poultry sector is now in the hands of a mafia group which includes Kazi Farms, Paragon, CP, Nourish, 71, Afil, Saguna. This syndicate is trying to destroy the marginal poultry farmers across the country in a planned way. In the meantime, half of the marginal farmers have closed their farms because of this syndicate.”
Mentioning the exorbitant feed prices, he said, “The marginal farmers now buy one sack of feed at Tk3,300 but if any small farmer go for contract farming with the syndicate, the feed price is Tk2500. It means, this syndicate makes a profit of Tk800 per sack.”|
He also noted that this syndicate is making a profit of three taka from one egg and Tk 20 to Tk22 from the sale of one broiler chick.
Mentioning the dominance of egg supply by the syndicate, the BPA President said, “The daily demand of eggs in the country is about 4.5 crore pieces. The big companies supply 2.5 crore against the demand. These companies are making a profit of seven crore taka illegally by increasing the price eggs. Thus the companies have earned some Tk112 crore from eggs sale.”
He also alleged that the syndicate created an artificial crisis of broilers in the country in order to make huge profit.
“The syndicate created a supply crisis of 19.50 crore kilograms of broilers per day. Then they increased the price of Tk 15 from per kilogram broiler. Thus they have pocketed Tk172 crore in the last two weeks,” he added.
About the fixing of prices, he said, “The prices of eggs and chickens are not fixed in the storehouses. The agents of the big companies fix the price in the storehouses. The syndicate controls the prices. Eggs and chickens are sold by their rate. Others are helpless here.”
He also mentioned that such market control is not at all good for the consumers and marginal farmers.
“If the companies control the market the marginal farmers will be affected. Then price of each egg will be Tk 20 and per kilogram broiler will be Tk400,” he added.
The BPA President also alleged that the big companies are carrying out their activities with the patronisation of some officials of Commerce Ministry and Livestock Department.
Meanwhile, owner of Paragon Company and also BPICC President Moshiur Rahman told the New Nation on Saturday that such allegation against them was baseless.
“I have heard the name of such associations for the first time. We are doubtful about their activities. Their allegation of increasing prices by the big companies is baseless. The prices of eggs and chickens go up due to price hike of fuels.”
Meanwhile, the prices of eggs and chickens came down slightly on Friday. The price of one dozen eggs has decreased by Tk30 while the price of broiler chickens per kilogram has come down by Tk20.
Several days ago consumers bought four eggs at Tk50 to Tk60 but now it is being sold Tk40 to Tk45.
