Poultry farmers in a bind for sharp fall in egg prices

RAJSHAHI, Apr 09: Small and medium-scale poultry farmers in Rajshahi and its neighbouring districts have suffered a shuttering blow as egg prices have fallen sharply below production costs.
Forced to sell eggs at significantly lower prices, many farmers are incurring continuous losses, leading to the closure of numerous farms.
Stakeholders warn that if the situation persists, it could have wider implications for rural livelihoods, employment and local food security.
According to farmers, eggs are currently being sold at the farm level for only Tk6 to Tk6.50 per piece, while the production cost ranges between Tk9 and Tk10. This means farmers are losing around Tk3 to Tk4 on every egg they produce.
With losses continuing for months, many small and marginal farmers are losing their capital and shutting down their operations.
Data from the Department of Livestock Services show that Rajshahi district requires around 303.1 million eggs annually. However, the district currently produces about 668.3 million eggs each year - more than double the local demand. The resulting oversupply is considered one of the key reasons behind the recent price slump.
There are currently about 6,576 poultry farmers in the district.
However, the Rajshahi Poultry Farmers Association claims that the number of egg-producing farms in the region has dropped by more than 50 per cent over the past one and a half years due to persistent losses.
At one time, more than 2,000 small and medium-sized farms were operating in the area, but many have now been forced to shut down.
Enamul Haque, president of the Rajshahi Poultry Farmers Association, said the survival of small farms is now under serious threat.
"If the current trend continues, small farms will gradually disappear. Many farmers have already lost their investment and moved to other professions.
He added that the government should consider setting a minimum price for eggs to ensure that farmers can at least recover their production costs. Otherwise, the market may eventually fall under the control of a few large corporates.
Mohammad Asaduzzaman, a poultry farmer in Rajshahi city, said the price of maize - a key ingredient in poultry feed - has increased from Tk25-27 per kilogram to around Tk32.
Similarly, soybean prices have jumped from Tk49-52 to Tk62-70 per kilogram. Even if the price of maize or soybean increases by just Tk1 per kilogram, the cost of producing poultry feed rises by about Tk10 per kilogram.
Due to continuous losses, Asaduzzaman has already sold around 4,000 egg-laying hens from his farm as meat. 'If this continues, I may have to shut down the entire farm,' he added.
Jiarul Islam, a poultry farmer from Kalipur village in Godagariupazila, shared a similar experience.
He said that in October last year, white eggs were selling for around Tk8.10 and brown eggs for about Tk9.10 each.
Now the prices have dropped by Tk2 to Tk3 per egg. "Because of the price decline, I incurred a loss of nearly Tk100,000 in February alone," he added.
Small farmers have also accused large corporate investors of worsening the situation.
Atikur Rahman, a poultry farmer from Paba upazila, said, "Large companies that have their own hatcheries, feed mills and marketing networks can afford to sell eggs at lower prices. But small farmers like us have to buy all inputs from the open market. So we cannot survive at those prices."
According to him, some large producers are now producing between 300,000 and 500,000 eggs per day and effectively influencing market prices.
He alleged that the continued price pressure may be pushing small farmers out of the market.
Masudur Rahman Rinku, president of the Rajshahi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the growing dominance of large corporations in the poultry sector is making it difficult for small and medium entrepreneurs to compete. Corporate companies are now involved in every stage of the sector - from breeding and poultry farming to egg production. If the trend continues, many small farms will close before they can even become established, and the market will gradually be dominated by a handful of large players.
He stressed the need for government intervention, including fair price mechanism, stronger market monitoring and policy support to protect small farmers and ensure the long-term sustainability of the poultry sector.

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