Eggs being sold at Tk23 more per dozen than govt set price

In the city’s kitchen markets, eggs are selling at Tk23 more than the rate set by the government, exceeding the price limit fixed on 15 September.

According to the new rates fixed by the Department of Agricultural Marketing, the prices of broiler chicken and Sonali chicken should be Tk179.59 and Tk269 per kg, respectively.

When it comes to eggs, each piece should be sold at Tk11.87, which means a dozen of eggs should cost Tk142.44.

Visiting many kitchen markets in the city, this correspondent saw that eggs were selling at Tk165 a dozen. Broiler chicken was being sold at Tk180 per kg, while Sonali chicken was selling at Tk280 per kg.

When asked about the extra price, wholesale egg trader at Karwan Bazar Mohammad Liton said, “We are selling eggs at a wholesale rate of Tk155 a dozen. As the retailers can’t buy eggs at the government fixed rate, they have to increase the price.”

In a letter signed by Director General of the Department of Livestock Services Mohammad Reazul Haque, egg and chicken prices fixed by the government were reasonable and they had been fixed after consultation between the government and people related to the poultry sector.

However, traders blamed the recent flooding and rainfall along with the advent of the weekend as the reasons behind the supply shortage and price hike.

According to Bangladesh Polutry Association estimates, demand for eggs is around 4 crore pieces while the production is around 4.5 crore pieces. Still, the price of eggs is showing an upward trend due to an increase in the production costs.

President of the Polutry Association Sumon Hawlader said, “The price of eggs can’t be reduced keeping the mafias in the livestock and feed sector alive. We will lodge cases against feed traders for charging us exorbitant prices.”

“An egg in our country costs Tk7.5 to produce, while it is Tk5.5 in India. We need to reduce the production cost to lessen the price of eggs at the wholesale and retail level,” Sumon added.

Although the Department of Agricultural Marketing has set the egg price, they do not have the jurisdiction if any trader wishes not to follow it. The Agricultural Marketing Act only gives them the power to file complaints to the judicial magistrate.

Asked about the high price of eggs, Customer Mohammad Munna said, “The market is still unstable. I get Tk20,000 as my salary, but I’m finding it hard to maintain my family of five members with Tk5,000 that is left for me after paying my house rent.”

Assistant Director of Directorate of National Consumers’ Right Protection Abdul Jabbar Mondal monitored the kitchen markets last Tuesday (17 September), after which he said, “We have seen that traders were making a profit of Tk1 per egg. They have reduced the price in our presence, and we will investigate why the dealers have increased the prices.”