Bad times hit Shariatpur poultry sector

The poultry industry in Shariatpur district has suffered a severe setback prompted by the political turbulence, marked by hartals and blockades, which the country has passed through for the last several months.
Unremitting losses for spiralling prices of feeds, chicks and medicines have forced the owners of 275 poultry farms in the district to stop their operation, according to a news agency.
The sale of chickens has also taken a nosedive, especially for lack of transport, sparking worries of a large number of people who made huge investments in the sector.
Officials at the District Livestock Department office said such catastrophic closure of the poultry units will further intensify the unemployment problem in the district.
The farm owners are blaming the country’s political disorder
for the nonstop losses they have got to face.
Poultry farmers said the prices they were getting for the eggs and hens were very low, and through these it was not possible for them even to recover the production cost, which became a big concern for the sector.
There are around 613 small and big poultry farms in six upazilas of the district, which after meeting local demands of eggs and hens supply those outside.