Wholesale Market: 4 firms to sell chicken at Tk 190-195 a kg in Ramadan

Four major chicken producers yesterday announced that they will sell broiler chicken for Tk 190-195 a kg at the gates of their farms during Ramadan.

The announcement came after the Directorate of National Consumers Right Protection (DNCRP) summoned representatives of the farms to explain why the prices of broiler chicken were "unreasonably high".

The four, Kazi Farms Ltd, CP Bangladesh, Aftab Bahumukhi Farms Ltd, and Paragon Poultry and Hatchery Ltd, have been selling broiler chicken at Tk 220 to Tk 230 a kg at the gates of their farms over the last two weeks.

At the kitchen markets of Dhaka over the last few days, each kg of broiler chicken was being sold for Tk 280-300.

AHM Shafiquzzaman, director general of DNCRP, said retail prices will fall by Tk 35-40 soon.

After attending a meeting at the DNCRP, Kazi Zahedul Hasan, managing director of the Kazi Farms, said broiler chicken will be sold at Tk 190-195 per kg at the gate of the farm during Ramadan.

According to a DNCRP report, the price of a kg of broiler chicken should not exceed Tk 200 at retail, because the production cost at large farms is Tk 135-140 even after the increase in the prices of feed.

For small farms, the production cost is Tk 150-160, it added.

Abu Luthfe Fazle Rahim Khan, managing director of Aftab Bahumukhi Farms Ltd, said his company will follow the new rates even though it will incur losses.

Meanwhile, at a views-exchange discussion at the office of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), its president  Jasim Uddin said the price of broiler chicken increased by Tk 100 in a month because the poultry industry people were taking advantage of the people.

He added that the government banned the import of broiler chicken, beef, and eggs to protect the local industry.

If the prices do not come down, the FBCCI will request the commerce ministry to allow the import of chicken and beef to keep the prices under control, he said.

At present, a kg of beef is sold for Tk 750-800.