Rhythm of normal life has begun to decline in the trembling winter at Chalan Beel area, specially in northern districts. And as the winter intensifies, farmers are trying to protect their chickens by lighting high-powered electric lights in more than 900 poultry farms across the area of Sirajganj and surrounding districts.
On the other hand, prices of all types of chicken have gone up in the wholesale markets of different districts including Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj, Tangail, Rajshahi and others. As a result, the price of all types of chickens sold at retail and wholesale prices in all the hat bazaars of Chalan Beel has gone up by Tk 45 to Tk 55 per kg in the last one month, said Sonaullah, a chicken trader in Tarash Municipal Market. He added that due to the onset of winter, the price of chickens may go up further in the future due to non-rearing of chickens in most of the poultry farms. On the other hand, wholesalers of Dhaka, including Jalal Uddin, Soleiman Sheikh and Kazem Pramanik, said that they had bought broiler chickens and Sonali variant of chickens at a price of Tk 110 to 115 per kg directly before the month. But now due to the increase in the price of chicken in the wholesale markets of different cities including Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj, Tangail, Rajshahi, the farmers in the poultry farms in Chalan Beel area have also increased the price of chicken from 40 to 50 Tk per kg. And because the chickens wholesalers in different cities including Dhaka are buying chickens directly from Chalan Beel farms, they are selling all kinds of chickens at higher prices in all areas of Chalan Beel in keeping with the price of chickens in the city.
It is learned that there are more than nine hundred commercially run chicken farms of medium, marginal and small farms in Tarash, Raiganj, Ullapara, Shahjadpur of Sirajganj, Bhangura, Chatmohar, Faridpur of Pabna, Singra of Natore and Atrai upazila of Naogaon. To meet the demand for meat and eggs in these farms, Sonali, Layer, Boiler, Pakistani Layer, Turkey and most of the local breed chickens are reared and cared for. On the other hand, during the last three to four days, day and night temperatures have started decreasing in Chalan Beel area. The night and morning heat levels are found to be lower than normal in the poultry farms of all the farms which are set up in open space. In addition, in the open field poultry farms, the intensity of winter is being felt more in the cold air. According to Shamim Hossain, a local from the area, the temperature in the area is 17 to 19 degrees at the end of the day and 14 to 15 degrees at night. For this reason, farmers are trying to artificially increase the heat by using electric bulbs, heaters, hurricane lamps in most of the farms as a breeder method to keep the artificial heat level of 20 to 25 degrees to save the chickens on the farm.
With the onset of winter, chickens reared on poultry farms are being infected with dysentery, infectious Bursal Disease, Newcastle Disease Syndrome, mycoplasma, bronchitis, necrotic, enteritis, broiler pneumonia and rheumatism. As a result, farmers in the northern districts have increased their electricity bills, the cost of medicine for poultry, and the price of poultry food in the market to keep the farm temperature high during the winter season. Due to this, the farmers have been forced to increase the price of chicken in line with the cost, said the farmer Milon Sarkar of Bamihal area of Singra upazila of Natore district. He added that the price of chicken has gone up at wholesale prices against the demand in big cities including Dhaka. It is natural that the price of chicken will increase at the retail price in the market of Sirajganj and other districts.
Tarash Upazila Animal Resources Department Veterinary Surgeon Shariful Islam emphasized on giving regular vaccination to the chickens of the poultry farm to keep them healthy during this time of winter. He advised to be more careful towards chickens at this time of winter.
In the last one and a half months, the prices of all kinds of chickens have gone up in all the markets of northern districts. Boilers are being sold at 150 Tk in the wholesale market and 180 Tk in the retail market instead of 120 Tk per kilogram in different markets including Chanchkair, Salanga, Gurudaspur, Naogaon, Gulta, Bamihal, Handial, Sarat Nagar, Boalia, Mirzapur, Nimgachhi and Binsara. Sonali is being sold at Tk 220 in the wholesale market and Tk 280 per kilogram in the retail market instead of Tk 200. Domestic breed chickens are being sold at Tk 350 per kg in the wholesale market and Tk 420 per kg in the retail market. Sobahan Mandal, a chicken warehouse keeper in Salanga Bazar, said the price of all types of chickens in Chalan Beel area has gone up by Tk 45 to Rs Tk per kg.
In this context, Tarash Upazila Animal Resources Officer. Sohail Alam Khan said that in order to protect the chickens from the harshness of winter, the farmers have to control the temperature of the farm. Besides, chickens should be given regular antidote. Keep in mind that it is very important to keep the temperature of the farm normal to protect the chickens in more winters.
