The prices of egg increased further in the capital this week, augmenting owes of the consumers.
The prices of four pieces (one hali) of eggs soared to Tk 36-38 on Monday at the city retail markets from Tk 34-35 earlier.
Md Belal Hossain, a grocer at Sankar in Dhanmondi, said he bought farm eggs at Tk 880 per 100 pieces on Sunday evening from his regular supplier, up from Tk 800-820 on Friday.
He said the prices of egg started to surge with onset of the winter season following a considerable rise in demand.
Md Nurunnabi, proprietor of Pushti Egg Agency at Tejgaon central market in the city said demand for both farm poultry birds and eggs have increased amid significant rise in other protein items including beef, mutton and fish.
He said the egg farm owners across the country are now selling their produce at Tk 6.8-7.50 a piece which was below Tk 6.0 until mid-December.
Md Tahir Ahmed, president of the Bangladesh Egg Producers' Association (BEPA), told the FE that a significant number of poultry farmers have shut their operation in the last one-and-a-half-year amid low price of the protein item which might have led to a decrease in supply.
"It might have created a supply shortage," said Tahir.
Farmers were forced to sell per piece egg just at Tk 4.0-4.5 at the farm level in 2017-18 fiscal year against the production cost of Tk 6.0, he noted.
He stated that the production costs witnessed an upward trend in the last several years as the prices of poultry feed and medicine rose coupled with a surge in electricity tariff.
Dr. Munzur Murshid Khan, Secretary General of the Bangladesh Poultry Industries Association (BPIA), voiced his concerns that production of egg may decline by 10 per cent this year against the annual output of 15.0 billion pieces.
However, he said that the rising price of egg may help coming back of the farm owners in the business again.
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