Poultry industry leaders call for addressing challenges in poultry sector

Poultry industry leaders at a programme called for ensuring bank loans on easy terms to marginal farm owners and farmers, providing incentive in emergency time and stopping the influence of middlemen to protect the Tk35,000 crore sector

The measures should also include imparting training to farmers and farm owners on modern technology, and bringing marginal farmers under insurance, they observed at the 'Dutch-Bangladesh Knowledge Sharing Roundtable' at a hotel at Gulshan-2 in the capital, said a press release.

There are about 90,000 to 100,000 poultry farms across the country. The sector has created employment facilities for many people, including women. So it deserves due attention, they said.     

PoultryTechBangladesh, a public-private partnership co-funded by Netherlands Embassy in Dhaka, comprising leading Dutch and Bangladeshi companies active in various parts of the poultry value chain, organised the event in collaboration with the Breeders Association Bangladesh (BAB) and the Feed Industries Association of Bangladesh (FIAB) on Tuesday afternoon.

Abu Luthfe Fazle Rahim Khan, said "It has been observed that the demand for protein consumption in Bangladesh is exceptionally volatile due to different cultural festivities and events. Hence, it is important to conduct a consumer baseline study to understand protein consumption behaviour".

Mahbubur Rahman, general secretary of the Breeders Association Bangladesh, said, "Regulatory steps need to be taken to stop selling live chicken in wet markets. This single step will ensure better food safety, streamlined value chain without excessive intermediaries, better farmgate price for producers, and lower price of poultry products in the retail market."

Md Ahsanuzzaman, director and CEO of Spectra Hexa Feeds LTD, stated "Access to finance is another key challenge for small and medium scale farmers of Bangladesh. Hence, for the industry to scale up, it is important to provide them easier access to loans, ensure insurance coverage and improve their technical capacity." 

Gordon Butler, president of G&S Agriconsultants Co Ltd, said "The poultry sector is unique in comparison to global poultry industries. Hence, we cannot aim to replicate the practices of the global west but instead we need to collaboratively come up with unique solutions that are relevant to the Bangladeshi poultry industry". 

Md. Nazrul Islam, associate vice president of ACI Godrej Agrovet Private Limited, during his address, said, "By 2025, we expect the poultry industry to increase by 300% at 320+ eggs per capita per annum both in terms of egg and meat consumption. Hence, we should focus on food safety and develop a traceable and integrated backward linkage to ensure profitability for farmers and quality products for consumers at an affordable price". 

Others also spoke at the event.

Matthias Brienen, director of Larive International, and Zahedul Amin, director of LightCastle Partners, jointly moderated the programme. 

PoultryTechBangladesh is a five-year long programme that would be active till December 2025.