The prices of eggs and green chilies have declined on Wednesday thanks to increased supplies, traders said.
Egg prices reduced by Tk 15-20, with a dozen now retailing at Tk 160-170 in the city.
After a two-day closure, egg supplies have started normalising in the Tejgaon and Kaptan Bazar wholesale markets.
However, the retail price is still higher than the government-fixed rate of Tk 142.44 a dozen.
Wholesalers at Tejgaon said they purchased eggs from farmers at Tk 12 each and were selling at Tk 12.3.
However, grocers said they were getting eggs at Tk 13 a piece and selling at Tk 13.6-14.
The Department of Agriculture Marketing (DAM) in collaboration with the Department of Livestock Services (DLS) on Tuesday set the maximum prices of eggs at Tk 10.6 per piece at the production level, Tk 11.01 at the wholesale level, and Tk 11.87 at retail.
Tejgaon is one of the capital's largest egg warehouses.
Traders there ceased egg sales on Sunday and Monday, citing the need to buy and sell at prices exceeding the government-fixed rates, resulting in fines imposed by the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP).
On Tuesday, the DNCRP convened a meeting with egg producers, wholesalers, and other stakeholders to address the issue.
It was agreed that for the next two weeks, large egg-producing companies and small farmers would supply eggs directly to wholesales at government-set prices, eliminating middlemen.
This initiative aims to stabilise prices by increasing supply.
Mohammad Amanat Ullah, former president of the Tejgaon Egg Traders Association told the FE that they expect to start purchasing eggs from large companies by Wednesday night.
He said that while prices are falling, it might take a couple of days to reach reasonable levels.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Poultry Industries Central Council (BPICC) has decided to supply 2.0 million eggs to Tejgaon and Kaptan Bazar wholesale markets from Thursday morning.
With the beginning of the supply, eggs will be sold at government fixed rates, said a BPICC press release.
Each egg will be sold at Tk 10.6 to the wholesalers, and the vendors will ensure they are sold at the consumer level at the MRP of Tk 11.87.
Under these conditions, the producers have initiated the supply of 2.0 million eggs.
The Director General of DNCRP will inaugurate the programme on Thursday morning at Kaptan Bazar in the city.
BPICC said this decision was made during a meeting of the central council, which comprises entrepreneurs from all sectors of the poultry industry.
Prior to this, a meeting on egg prices and supply was held at the DNCRP on Tuesday. The meeting was attended by egg producers, wholesalers, and stakeholders involved in the supply chain.
It was decided that large egg-producing companies and small farmers will now send eggs directly to the wholesale market at the government-set price, eliminating any middlemen.
Masiur Rahman, joint convenor of BPICC, said: "We are committed to selling eggs at the prices set by the government. The DAM, DLS, and other stakeholders have jointly set the prices for eggs at the producer, wholesale, and retail levels, taking into account the rational production costs."
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