1 lakh chicken worth Tk20 crore dying everyday amid heatwave: Poultry Association
If the situation continues, a severe supply shortage could hit the poultry and egg market within the next month, the association said in a statement signed by its President Md Sumon Howlader.
The ongoing heatwave is wreaking havoc on the country's poultry industry, with nearly 1 lakh chickens, worth around Tk20 crore, dying every day since Eid-ul-Fitr, said the Bangladesh Poultry Association on Thursday (25 April).
"If the situation continues, a severe supply shortage could hit the poultry and egg markets within the next month," the association said in a press release signed by its President Sumon Howlader.
The association has sought support from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to tackle the crisis.
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According to the press release, poultry farmers are facing a double whammy with the crisis of chicks and their excessively high prices, which have risen to Tk80-90 per chick compared to a production cost of Tk28-30.
"Under these dire conditions, egg and chicken production has declined significantly, ranging from 4 to 10%," read the statement, adding in the last 10-12 days, over 10 lakh broiler, layer, and sonali chickens have died in the country.
Broiler chickens alone account for 80% of the casualties.
"The total loss from the deaths of these chickens is estimated to be Tk200 crore in the last 10 days," said Sumon.
"If this continues, the poultry farms will be closed, and production of eggs and poultry will decrease," he added.
"Taking advantage of this opportunity, corporate egg chicken suppliers and Tejgaon-based egg syndicates will create a shortage of eggs and chickens in the market.
"From June, they will start increasing the prices. From August to October, the price of eggs and chicken will increase drastically," the Poultry Association president alleged.
Calling on the government to protect the poultry farmers in this situation, he said the government should subsidise the production of chicks and poultry feed and keep the supply chain in order so that there is no crisis in the market.
He also urged the government to allow the import of chicks and poultry feed from abroad to help marginal farmers.
BPA President Suman Howladar told The Business Standard that marginal farmers are hurriedly selling chickens as many are dying.
He also mentioned that poultry chicken is being sold at Tk160 per kg at the farm level, whereas their production cost is Tk180.
According to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh, poultry was sold for Tk200-210 in the kitchen markets in the capital.
