Ample supply fails to curb egg price hike in city mkts
Sunday, 20 September 2009
Jasim Uddin Haroon
The price of eggs increased by around 17 per cent to Tk 28 per hali (four pieces) Saturday in the city's kitchen markets despite adequate supply.
The wholesalers and egg producers alleged that a group of unscrupulous traders between wholesalers and retailers are taking the advantage of increased sales of the protein item before the Eid festival and manipulating its price.
As of Saturday, the wholesale price of egg in the city was Tk 22 per hali, and the farmers are supplying it at Tk 21.60, sources at the wholesale market and egg producers association said.
A trader at Shantinagar Bazar said those who supply them eggs, are now charging extra Tk 2.0 on each hali."
Md Amanat Ullah, general secretary of Tejgaon Eggs Multipurpose Society, told the FE that the supply of egg remained as usual in the city, and there is no reason for such a price hike at the retail level.
But he admitted that the wholesale price of egg increased by Tk 0.80 per hali over the past couple of days, mainly due to its increased demand during Eid and Durga Puja.
"Traders of nearby districts of Dhaka are procuring a large quantity of eggs. The demand for egg also increases in the rural areas during Eid and Durga Puja," said Md Hanif, a wholesale trader at Tejgaon.
Even on Wednesday the wholesalers sold eggs at Tk 21.20 per hali, when the price of eggs ranged between Tk 24 and Tk 25 at the retail level.
The daily demand for eggs in the capital during the month of Ramadan was around 6.5 million pieces, whereas its supply stood around 7.0 million. Many traders are reportedly hoarding eggs in the cold storages to make profit during its poor supply, traders claimed.
In the meantime, the production of eggs in the country's around 37,000 poultry farms stood at 12.7 million pieces Saturday against the demand for around 10 million pieces across the country.
Md Mohsin, a senior leader of National Committee for Poultry Farms, said the farmers are selling eggs at Tk 21.60 (red variety) each hali and Tk 20.80 (white variety).
"Our farmers are supplying eggs at the government-fixed price, but the retailers and some traders are charging higher prices and destabilising the market," Md Mohsin alleged.
The government at a meeting on September 2 set the retail price of eggs at Tk 24 per hali. The government also set the price of eggs for farmers at Tk 21.40 (red variety) each hali and for wholesalers Tk 22.
He said the government should take immediate action regarding the matter and probe how the prices of eggs are increasing in the market.
Earlier, the government allowed three trading companies to import 200 million pieces of eggs during the month of Ramadan and Durga Puja to ensure its smooth supply in the local market at fair prices.
The prices of eggs also declined sharply after arrival of the first consignment from India, and the companies are still supplying eggs in the capital.
The price of eggs increased by around 17 per cent to Tk 28 per hali (four pieces) Saturday in the city's kitchen markets despite adequate supply.
The wholesalers and egg producers alleged that a group of unscrupulous traders between wholesalers and retailers are taking the advantage of increased sales of the protein item before the Eid festival and manipulating its price.
As of Saturday, the wholesale price of egg in the city was Tk 22 per hali, and the farmers are supplying it at Tk 21.60, sources at the wholesale market and egg producers association said.
A trader at Shantinagar Bazar said those who supply them eggs, are now charging extra Tk 2.0 on each hali."
Md Amanat Ullah, general secretary of Tejgaon Eggs Multipurpose Society, told the FE that the supply of egg remained as usual in the city, and there is no reason for such a price hike at the retail level.
But he admitted that the wholesale price of egg increased by Tk 0.80 per hali over the past couple of days, mainly due to its increased demand during Eid and Durga Puja.
"Traders of nearby districts of Dhaka are procuring a large quantity of eggs. The demand for egg also increases in the rural areas during Eid and Durga Puja," said Md Hanif, a wholesale trader at Tejgaon.
Even on Wednesday the wholesalers sold eggs at Tk 21.20 per hali, when the price of eggs ranged between Tk 24 and Tk 25 at the retail level.
The daily demand for eggs in the capital during the month of Ramadan was around 6.5 million pieces, whereas its supply stood around 7.0 million. Many traders are reportedly hoarding eggs in the cold storages to make profit during its poor supply, traders claimed.
In the meantime, the production of eggs in the country's around 37,000 poultry farms stood at 12.7 million pieces Saturday against the demand for around 10 million pieces across the country.
Md Mohsin, a senior leader of National Committee for Poultry Farms, said the farmers are selling eggs at Tk 21.60 (red variety) each hali and Tk 20.80 (white variety).
"Our farmers are supplying eggs at the government-fixed price, but the retailers and some traders are charging higher prices and destabilising the market," Md Mohsin alleged.
The government at a meeting on September 2 set the retail price of eggs at Tk 24 per hali. The government also set the price of eggs for farmers at Tk 21.40 (red variety) each hali and for wholesalers Tk 22.
He said the government should take immediate action regarding the matter and probe how the prices of eggs are increasing in the market.
Earlier, the government allowed three trading companies to import 200 million pieces of eggs during the month of Ramadan and Durga Puja to ensure its smooth supply in the local market at fair prices.
The prices of eggs also declined sharply after arrival of the first consignment from India, and the companies are still supplying eggs in the capital.