Farmers' initiative to sell eggs at Tk12 apiece hits a snag amid management woes

Just three days into Bangladesh Poultry Association's (BPA) initiative to sell eggs at Tk12 apiece, it has hit a snag due to management issues, prompting a temporary halt.

Aimed at tackling the soaring price, the organisation of marginal farmers inaugurated the programme of selling eggs following the government-fixed rate on Monday (16 October).

BPA President Suman Howladar confirmed the setback, expressing exhaustion from handling the workload alone.

He said, "I am tired of doing the work all by myself. So today, we took a break. We shall start again tomorrow."

The initiative, which began on 16 October in front of TCB Bhaban in Karwan Bazar, was initially planned to expand to 16 locations within Dhaka city. However, due to logistical challenges and farmer reluctance, reports suggest that the program may contract in the coming days.

Explaining the change in plans, Suman Howladar said, "From tomorrow, we will sell eggs at a few important locations in the city. The operation of selling eggs from trucks at 16 spots proved pretty expensive. Besides, many farmers are unwilling to offer eggs at this rate."

The government had set a maximum price of Tk10.50 per egg at the production stage and Tk12 each at the retail level last month, but this pricing structure has faced challenges in implementation.

On the contrary, the price of each egg has surged by Tk1 over the past week, with a set of four eggs initially priced at Tk48, now being sold at Tk55-58.

Despite the operational challenges, the BPA president claimed success in the initiative, stating, "It was not our intention to make a profit by selling eggs. We wanted to reduce the price of eggs in the market through this program, and that happened."

He highlighted a decrease in the wholesale price of 100 eggs, from Tk1,180 to Tk1,060 within the week.

"We promoted the fixed-cap egg sales by using microphones in different markets, compelling other retailers in the market to bring down their selling price. This created an environment for fair competition, while the tendency to make abnormal profit has lessened," he added.

Facing difficulties in covering the costs of selling eggs from trucks, he suggested that if the government provides a temporary place in the market, farmers could hang banners and sell eggs there, potentially mitigating some of the logistical challenges faced during the truck sales initiative.