Extortion, clique jacking up prices of eggs, chicken

The Bangladesh Poultry Association has blamed extortion on roads and syndicates for the recent price hike of eggs and chicken.

At a press conference in Dhaka Reporters Unity yesterday, they demanded an end to police harassment and extortion during transportation to keep the prices of eggs and chicken stable during Ramadan.

In a statement, Sumon Howlader, president of the association, said Bangladesh Road Transport Authority permits corporate groups to operate vehicles for transporting eggs, chicken, poultry feed, and chicks.

But the marginal farmers are not allowed. For this, they have to pay monthly the traffic department, highway police, police checkpoints, and some dishonest police officers during transportation of their produce, he alleged.

Besides, they also have to pay the local extortionists. Their vehicles cannot run during the daytime, causing obstruction in transportation. This increases the transportation cost of eggs and chicken, which ultimately hikes the prices in the market, he explained.

At a recent meeting with secretaries of all ministries and divisions, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina directed the authorities to take stern action against extortionists on the highways, identifying it as a major contributor to the price hike of essential commodities.

Sumon said the marginal farmers buy feed and chicks from large farms because the latter have a monopoly on their production. That's why it is easy for the large farms to rise prices of their produce with the help of middlemen.

"Without opinions of the farmers, the livestock department fixed the price of a piece of chick at Tk 49 to Tk 52 only to favour the syndicate.

"The corporate groups produce chicks as per their demand and gave chicks to their contract farmers. The remaining low-quality chicks are being sold at a premium price of Tk 70 to Tk 80 per piece to the marginal farmers through their distributors," Sumon alleged.

In reply to the query whether the price will go up before Ramadan, he said due to the shortage of chicks, the price will increase before Ramadan. The price will start decreasing from the first week of Ramadan as the demand for eggs and chicken will be low.

Asked about the marginal farmers' demand to keep the market stable during Ramadan, he said, "Extortion and police harassment across the country should be stopped. At the same time, it is important to take steps so that the chicken and egg carts of the marginal farmers can ply during the daytime."

Bangladesh Poultry Association Vice President Bappi Kumar Dey, General Secretary Elias Khandkar, and entrepreneur Kawsar Ahmed, among others, were present at the briefing.