Prices of day-old chicks of both layer and broiler at farm level have recently increased significantly due to the ongoing political unrest in the country, industry insiders said.
Political turmoil has caused a supply shortage of chicks against an increased demand. Cashing in on a production shortfall, poultry farmers said, breeders had increased the prices of day-old chicks.
Marginal farmers claimed that 'big players' of the industry had pushed the prices of chicks up to earn more profits.
However, the breeders said political stalemate had forced them to raise the prices slightly.
Alamgir Swapan, a poultry farmer of Tangail, told the FE: "I bought day-old chicks at Tk 10 per piece in December last year, but its price has now increased fivefold."
"We have to buy chicks at higher rate as we have to run our farms. We have not got any reply from the breeders why they have raised the prices."
He further said a syndicate of breeders is dominating the poultry sector.
Another poultry farmer of Gazipur Hafizur Rahman said: "Day-old broiler chicks are now selling at Tk 40-Tk 42 per piece which was Tk 15-Tk 20 per piece just one month back."
"Big players are controlling the market as they make poultry feed and produce medicines as well," Mr. Rahman said.
In reply to a query on price hike of layer and broiler chicks, Breeders Association of Bangladesh (BAB) General Secretary Syedur Rahman Babu said they did not increase the prices significantly.
"We are in troubles due to political turmoil since January 6 this year," he said.
"We can't supply day-old chicks due to transport disruptions during the non-stop blockade. Like previous days, the demand is the same now, but we can't deliver chicks smoothly."
"We have so far suffered a loss of more than Tk 5.00 billion due to political turmoil. But we have not pushed up the prices of chicks," he said.
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He said day-old broiler and layer chicks are now selling at Tk 35 and Tk 45 per piece at farm level. It was Tk 25 and Tk 35 per piece respectively one month back
BAB sources said eighty poultry hatcheries are producing around 10 million larger day-old chicks a week and around 0.80 million day-old broiler chicks.
