Small poultry farmers in Bangladesh have accused corporate companies of looting the sector, with allegations that these companies are making an extra profit of Tk 6,000 crore annually from feed and chicks alone. Bangladesh Poultry Association (BPA) President Md. Sumon Howlader made the claim at a press conference, warning that the fabricated loss stories from these corporations are harming small farmers and creating instability in the market.
Howlader highlighted the significant disparity in production costs between corporate companies and marginal farmers, with the latter bearing the brunt of high feed and chick prices. He argued that corporate companies, controlling 20% of the market, are using their strategic advantage to capture the market and weaken small farmers, who produce 80% of the country’s eggs and chicken.
The BPA president also criticized the government’s lack of intervention in regulating feed and chick prices, which directly affect small farmers. Howlader emphasized that without protective measures, corporate monopolies will continue to dominate the market, pushing small farmers out of business and destabilizing the poultry industry.
In an effort to address the ongoing crisis in the poultry sector, the Bangladesh Poultry Association (BPA) has presented 10 key demands to the government. These include limiting the role of corporate companies to feed and chick production, breaking their alleged syndicate, and ensuring affordable feed and chick prices for farmers. The association also called for loans, subsidies, and training to help farmers boost production, along with policies to facilitate direct supply of products from marginal farmers to the market.
The BPA further emphasized the need for specific policies tailored to the poultry sector and urged the government to halt contract farming, which they believe is exacerbating the crisis.
To ease the situation, the BPA has initiated a plan to sell eggs, chicken, and agricultural products at 100 locations across Dhaka during the upcoming Ramadan at “limited profit” to stabilize the market. The association’s president, Sumon Howlader, sought the government’s support for this initiative.
The press conference was attended by BPA Vice President Bappi Kumar Dey, General Secretary Md. Ilias Khandaker, Joint General Secretary Md. Kausar Ahmed, Organizing Secretary Md. Iqbal Hossain, Office Secretary Md. Mejbaul Haque, and members of the central committee, alongside marginal farmers producing eggs and chicken at the district and upazila levels.
