Countrywide poultry farm shutdown from May 1

The Bangladesh Poultry Association (BPA) has announced that all poultry and egg-producing farms across the country will shut down starting May 1.

The announcement was made in a press release issued by the organization on Thursday (April 17), signed by its president, Md. Sumon Hawlader.

According to the statement, despite the Ramadan and Eid seasons, small-scale farmers continued producing 2 million kilograms of chicken daily while incurring massive losses. With a loss of Tk 30 per kilogram, the total loss in one month amounted to nearly Tk 9 billion.

In addition, out of 40 million eggs produced daily, small farmers contributed 30 million. Facing a loss of Tk 2 per egg, the two-month loss from egg production alone totaled Tk 3.6 billion. Altogether, the poultry sector suffered a staggering loss of Tk 12.6 billion over two months.

The BPA alleged that while the government and regulatory bodies remain silent, a few corporate companies are conspiring to take control of the entire poultry industry. These companies not only control the supply of feed, chicks, and medicine but also dominate the egg and chicken markets. By creating artificial shortages, they are pushing small-scale farmers into dependency through exploitative contract farming.

The statement further noted that before Eid, chicks produced at a cost of Tk 28–30 were sold by corporations at Tk 70–80. Now the same chicks are being sold at Tk 30–35. The production cost for broiler chicken is Tk 160–170 per kg, but corporations are selling it for only Tk 120–125, forcing farmers to incur heavy losses. Similarly, the production cost of an egg is Tk 10–10.50, while the market price is just Tk 8–8.50. Prices are dictated by corporate players, leaving farmers no choice but to comply.

In the release, the Bangladesh Poultry Association also presented a 10-point demand:

1. Formation of a national price control policy and price-setting committee for poultry products
2. Enactment of strict laws to regulate contract farming
3. Establishment of a poultry market regulatory authority
4. Rehabilitation package for affected farmers
5. Registration and ID cards for poultry farmers
6. Restriction of companies to raw material production only
7. Ban on contract farming and company-run farms
8. Formulation of a policy to sell eggs and chickens based on weight
9. Expansion of opportunities for egg and chicken export
10. Establishment of a comprehensive Poultry Development Board

The association warned that if these demands are not met, they will continue with tougher protest programs.