The Bangladesh Poultry Association (BPA), a platform of traders and farmers, on Sunday threatened to cease egg and chicken
production in marginal poultry farms nationwide from January 1 unless their ten-point demand is met.
The demands include removal of the corporate syndicates who, the BPA says, are monopolising the market and undermining small-scale farmers. The announcement was made through a press release sent to the media on Sunday.
While egg and chicken prices have remained stable in recent weeks, some observers allege that these demands could be an attempt to disrupt market stability.
Eggs are priced at Tk 145-150 a dozen and broiler chicken at Tk 185-200 a kg for last one month, a static and reasonable trend, according to traders and consumers.
In the press release, BPA President Md Sumon Howlader said that the
government has repeatedly ignored their appeals to address the crisis facing
marginal farmers. He accused the government of siding with corporate syndicates instead of protecting the interests of marginal farmers.
"We have urged the government to take concrete measures to ensure the survival of marginal farmers in the poultry industry.
"Due to the dominance of corporate syndicates, the chicken and egg market is unstable, resulting in small farmers incurring losses significantly. This crisis threatens food security, employment, and the broader economy. The poultry sector, which provides livelihoods for nearly 5.0 million people, is at severe risk.
"If the government does not act promptly, the long-term damage to the poultry sector will be irreparable. As a last resort, we are announcing a programme to shut down marginal farms in all districts and upazilas."
In the press release, the BPA outlined ten specific demands aimed at safeguarding the interests of marginal poultry farmers. Key demands include restricting corporate companies to producing feed and chicks only and barring them from engaging in egg and chicken production.
It also called for prohibiting large-scale commercial egg and chicken production to protect small farmers,
kguaranteeing fair prices for their produce, providing them with easy-to-access loans and subsidies and abolition of exploitative contract farming practices.
Mahbubur Rahman, president of the Breeders Association of Bangladesh (BAB) and a poultry farm owner, told the FE that the chicken and egg prices have declined notably and the market is static for last one month.
He emphasised the need to support medium- and small-scale farmers, but expressed concern over the announcement to stop production. The government should look into the matter seriously, as vested interests are trying to make the market volatile, he added.
Another poultry farm owner said companies have lowered prices of day-old-chick (DOC) for broiler and Sonali varieties by 25-40 per cent in November-December compared to June-July. However, layer chick price is static at previous rate of Tk 65-70 per piece. Broiler and Sonali DOCs are being sold at Tk 37-45 per piece, he added.
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