Egg farmers have been making losses almost continuously since December 2025. In the last 7 months, eggs were sold at a profit only in one month, May 2026. The price has been low as egg production has been higher than consumer demand.
When the price of eggs was high, many made allegations that the price was controlled by a cartel or "syndicate." Farmers and traders say that this allegation has now proven false. If a syndicate of producers or traders were able to control the price, the price would not be so low. It is not possible for anyone to control the price of eggs, as tens of thousands of egg farmers and thousands of traders sell eggs every day.
Stakeholders say that the price has been low for months because egg production has increased, and supply has exceeded demand. However, recently the price has gone up, probably because traders are not able to transport eggs to and from flood-hit areas.
Commercial egg production is estimated to have exceeded 50 million (5 crore) per day, which is about 100 eggs per person per year. It is not known how many eggs are produced by backyard chickens and ducks, but the number is likely to be another 10 million (1 crore) per day. So the total egg production is probably about 120 eggs per person per year. The persistent low price shows that this present level of production is higher than demand.
Some egg farmers in Manikganj, interviewed on 10 July, said that high egg prices in 2024 motivated many egg farmers to increase their production capacity, and that this led to the present oversupply.
Farmers said they usually expect high egg prices in summer. However, this summer, low prices of vegetables (which are consumed as a substitute for eggs), low demand in the industrial belt, and high egg production have all contributed to a low price.
"We didn't worry about the low price during winter, which is normal because of higher production of vegetables and backyard eggs. But we have now become cornered due to continued losses," said Mojibur Rahman, 51, who owns a farm of 5400 birds in Folshati village in Shibalay upazila, Manikganj. On 9 July, he sold eggs for Tk 8.75 each, but his production cost was almost Tk 10 per egg. He sold eggs at his farm between Tk 8.5 and Tk 9.0 in 2025-26. He anticipates that he will have a deficit of Tk 2 million in his present batch of layer hens, though he made Tk 1.3 million profit from the previous batch.
Foyzur Rahman, 48, has been running a layer farm since 2010 in Dotora in Saturia. He said that over the last two years the number of farms has increased, and as a result farmers can no longer sell at a reasonable price. "If we sell eggs cheaper than Tk 10 per egg, we will not survive," he said.
Habibur Rahman, 38, from Kandapara, Saturia, has a farm of 4,000 hens laying white eggs that were selling at Tk 7 each. "Garment workers consume a lot of white eggs, but many factories are not buying eggs now," he said about the reason of price fall in his area. The farmer suggested that the government should facilitate marketplaces where egg farmers will be able to sell produce easily.
Abdul Qaium, 41, a trader at Tepra Bazar, Shibalay, buys and sells 6,000-7,000 eggs every day. He said farmers sometimes make loss and sometimes make profit as prices fluctuate. However, there is no possibility that anyone can establish a monopoly in the market as thousands of people are selling eggs. He says farmers need to receive Tk 9.5 per egg for brown eggs, and a slightly lower rate for white eggs. Otherwise it will be difficult for them to stay in business, he said.
Rabiul Awal, 49, has been a wholesale trader at Chhayabithi in Savar for 28 years. He purchases and sells 200,000 eggs a day. He said that production of eggs has increased at least by 30 per cent but demand has not increased in proportion to production. He said there has been a decline in demand from garment factories. When they worked overtime, they used to buy bananas and eggs for their workers, but now they have very little overtime work. "Over the years the egg price has gone up and down, but I have never seen the existence of any syndicate," he said.
It is said that all egg traders and farmers keep track of the Tejgaon wholesale egg rate. When demand is higher than production, the Tejgaon rate goes up, and farmers demand a higher price. When production is higher than demand, the Tejgaon rate falls, and traders offer farmers a lower price. This is how a competitive market is supposed to work. Amanat Ullah, one of the leaders of the Egg Traders Multipurpose Samity (association), explained that about 2 million (20 lakh) eggs are sold each day in Tejgaon. As there are many other wholesale markets, no one can control the price. It just depends on supply and demand.
Economists say that prices of farm products (including eggs) often follow a cycle which is called a "cobweb cycle." In the first year of the cycle, there might be a shortage of eggs, resulting in high price. The high price in the first year will motivate farmers to produce more eggs in the second year, which will lead to a surplus production and a low price in the second year. The low price in the second year will then motivate farmers to produce less in the third year, so there will be a high price again in the third year, completing the cycle.
The writer is a freelance journalist
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