Editorial
No respite for consumers
Poultry prices go through roof
Of late, prices of eggs and now, abnormal rise in poultry prices have become the subject of discussion for most city dwellers. According to even conservative estimates published by the government, poultry retail price has shot up by at least 22 percent in the last week alone. With current prices varying between Tk180 to Tk200 per kilo, depending on which city one resides in - Dhaka or Chittagong, one thing is painfully clear and i.e. that all forms of government interventions at arresting the hyperinflation being witnessed in kitchen markets have failed.
The news isn't getting better anytime soon. Depending on whom one talks to, retailers or the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh, higher prices are here to stay. The cause cited at both wholesale and retail levels for higher price is shortage of supply. According to Bangladesh Poultry Industries Association (BPIA) some 8,000 poultry farms have resumed production after the outbreak of the H5NI virus last year. But one must not forget that nearly 13,000 poultry farms that went off production at the fag end of last year had a debilitating effect on the supply chain. Losses incurred by most smaller farms led to their forced closure. They will take sometime to resume normal production and that too is highly suspect unless they receive some form of financial support from the government.
The downside to such price hikes is that today, both eggs and poultry have gone beyond the purchasing power of lower-income families and many middle class families consume the items sparingly. Deemed to be an essential part of the food basket of most families regardless of income levels, their absence will most certainly play havoc with nutrition. The poultry industry plays a crucial role in the rural economy and the disbanding of thousands of farms due to culling and lack of capital brought on by the avian flu would have to be rolled back. With thousands of farms risking permanent closure that will inevitably threaten livelihoods of hundreds of thousands, is it too much to ask for the government to provide short-term assistance so that they may resume normal production?
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