Jumbangla Desk: Recently there has been instability in the egg market of the country. Within a week, the price of an egg reached 15 rupees. The Bangladesh Poultry Association (BPA) has blamed multinational companies and the capital's Tejgaon Egg Traders Association behind such unrest. At the same time, it has also been alleged that the unscrupulous gang has looted Tk 280 crore by unreasonably increasing the prices of eggs and chicks in the last 20 days.

Egg

Saturday (October 5) the president of the organization. Suman Howladar made these allegations in a statement sent to the media.

He said that there is instability in the egg market across the country. In view of which the government has decided the price of chicken and eggs. But unfortunately the Department of Agriculture Marketing has not placed any marginal farmer in the Working Group Committee on Poultry Price Fixation. They set prices only on the advice of corporate groups. As a result of which this situation has been created. Again for this there is a strong syndicate of feed and broiler companies, their associations and Tejgaon Egg Traders Association and many others.

He also said that the production cost of an egg at marginal level is 10.29 taka. Accordingly, if there is a consumer level price of 12 to 12 and a half taka, then it is reasonable. But the price of that egg has increased to 15 rupees. In such a situation, to keep the egg and chicken market relaxed, he also commented that if the poultry feed and chick syndicates can be broken and the production cost of eggs and chicken can be reduced, the market will soon come to a tolerable level.

The statement said about the syndicate's role in increasing the price of eggs, they first collect eggs from farms. Later, the eggs were sent to different parts of Dhaka at night. Then in the morning, Tejgaon Egg Traders Association after Fajr prayer decided the price and gave the price discount everywhere through mobile SMS and Facebook. Then this price was implemented across the country.

Here, the price of 100 eggs is reduced by 10-20 rupees to 7 rupees per piece per day. Again, according to the same rules, the price of eggs is increased to 15 rupees. In this case, this syndicate buys eggs at a reduced price and stores them for 5 to 7 days. Then they suddenly increased the price and sold the eggs bought at a low price at a high price and made a double-triple profit. By doing so, egg traders across the country benefit and producers and consumers suffer.

He also alleged that corporate companies control the market of feed and chicks. They are so powerful that the government is not fixing the price of feed and chicks, but rather imposing the price on the producer. This has allowed corporate groups to syndicate. On September 15, the price of chicken and eggs was determined. It is said that at the producer level, each egg can be sold for Tk 10.58. Which is supposed to be sold at the consumer level for 12 rupees. But none of those with whom the price was fixed sold the eggs at the price set by the government.

He claimed that every corporate company admitted to selling their eggs at 11.1 taka at the producer level, but they fraudulently sold each egg from a minimum of 11.80 taka to a maximum of 12.50 taka. As a result, these eggs are now being sold at Tk 14-15 in the retail market. 2 taka more is being charged every day. In this way, an extra profit of 8 crore taka has been taken from 4 crore eggs per day. And in the last 20 days, 160 crore rupees have been taken from the pockets of consumers.

Suman Hawladar also mentioned in the statement that the price of each chick till September 15 was 30-35 rupees. But since September 16, the same baby is being sold at Tk 40-56. In this way, companies are making additional profit of Tk 120 crore from marginal farmers in the last 20 days through fraud.

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Suman Hawladar also alleged that behind these syndicates are the hands of the Ministry of Livestock, various officials of the Directorate and various corporate companies of the country. At the same time, he demanded to break the syndicate through strict supervision by the government and fix the price suitable for everyone.