Broiler chicken price hikes by Tk40/kg within days
Visiting Karwan Bazar, one of the biggest kitchen markets in the capital, The Business Standard found that broiler chicken is being sold at Tk250-60 per kg on Tuesday (9 April).
Broiler chicken is witnessing a rapid rise in prices, surging by up to Tk40 per kg within only four days.
Visiting Karwan Bazar, one of the biggest kitchen markets in the capital, The Business Standard found that broiler chicken is being sold at Tk250-60 per kg on Tuesday (9 April).
"In the last 4 days, broiler price has increased by about Tk40 per kg," said Aminul Islam, owner of the Jonopriyo Poultry Broiler House.
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Retailers blame the price hike on increasing wholesale prices and extreme heat causing the chickens to die.
"We are forced to sell broilers at high prices. We have to buy broilers at Tk235 per kg from the wholesale market. Many chickens die from the heat in summer. I have to pay rent for my shop. I have to pay salaries to my workers. If we sell broilers for a lesser price, I won't be able to make any profit," said Aminul Islam.
"There's a shortage in broiler supply, which is causing the price hike. When the price goes up in the wholesale market, it impacts the retail market," he added.
According to the Trading Corporations of Bangladesh (TCB), per kilogramme broiler cost Tk190 around this time last year.
The Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM) recently fixed the prices of 29 agricultural products, including fish, chicken, beef, eggs, lentils, and several vegetables.
As per the fixed rate, per kg broiler chicken price has been set at Tk175.31 at the retail level. At the wholesale level, the price is Tk162.69.
Similarly, the price of per kg beef has been set at Tk664.39 at the retail level. However, visiting the Karwan Bazar kitchen market, TBS found that beef is being sold at Tk750 per kg.
The surging price is making essential meat sources unaffordable for many.
"We have become hostages. I bought chicken only one day this Ramadan. I will buy chicken for Eid. I thought the price would be lower in Karwan Kazar, but it's Tk250 per kg here too," said Manowar Hossain, a jobholder who bought a chicken weighing 1.5 kg from the bazaar.
"How will we run the family? How am I supposed to bear the house rent, and food expenses for four members with only a Tk25,000 salary per month?
"The government has fixed the prices but the traders are not accepting it. The government needs to focus on market monitoring while thinking about low-income people.
"The price of beef has long gone out of our reach. I can't even afford chicken as it is now," he said.
