Tk11.25 for an egg!

Following the price hike of oil, rice and other daily essentials, eggs have become dearer too as an egg now costs Tk11.25 in different markets in the capital, which was Tk7.5 a year ago – a jump said to be caused by a rise in the cost of poultry feed in the market.

According to the market analysis data of the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh, the price of eggs jumped by 32.26% in one year, which has put further pressure on consumers as eggs are the most popular and affordable source of protein for low and middle-income people.

Farmers involved in egg production said a sack of chicken feed costs more than Tk3,000, which was less than Tk2,000 a year ago due to an increase in the price of feed ingredients – corn, soybean meal, rice polish, etc.

Poultry traders said that preparing poultry feed requires 50-55% corn and 30-35% soybean meal. The price of soybean meal was Tk49 per kg in March last year, which is Tk66 now. The price of maize was Tk28 last year, which increased to Tk35 per kg.

While talking about how the increase in feed prices has affected poultry farmers, Rangpur Sadar Upazila Poultry Industry Owners Association General Secretary Md Armanur Rahman Lincoln said the production cost of an egg was Tk6.3 six months ago and the selling price was Tk8-8.5.

At present, he has to spend Tk8.3 for producing an egg and sells it at Tk9. At retail levels, an egg sells at Tk11.

Since last year, prices have jumped by Tk15 to Tk45 per four eggs. Those who used to buy a dozen eggs at Tk100-110 a year ago have to pay Tk130 at present.

Mahtab Hossain, a shopkeeper at Mahtab General Store in the capital's Badda area, told The Business Standard, "We have to sell at higher prices because those who are supplying eggs are asking for more. People are also buying less."