About 3,500 farms in Kishoreganj have been closed due to the increase in the price of poultry feed, according to the Kishoreganj district branch of Bangladesh Poultry Farm Protection National Council. They said there were about 5500 poultry farms in Kishoreganj district. In the 2 years of covid-19, the farmers in this sector were affected, and since then, around 3500 farms have been closed in Kishoreganj district due to the unusual increase in the price of poultry feed and non-availability of fair prices for eggs and chickens.
They said this at a press conference in view of the current crisis in the poultry industry at Shaheed Syed Nazrul Islam Chatter in the district city on Wednesday. Bangladesh Poultry Farm Protection National Council Kishoreganj District Branch President AK Fazlul Haque read the written statement at the press conference.
Bangladesh Poultry Farm Protection National Council Kishoreganj District Branch President AK Fazlul Haque said that the price of a 50 kg bag of poultry feed was Tk 1700 in the last 18 months. The current price is Tk 2900 per bag due to the increase in the price of food every month. In the last 18 months, there has been an increase of Tk. 1200 per bag. By selling land due to rise in prices, taking bank loans, remaining from dealers, any kind of survival is expected. Already 60% of the farms are closed.
Bangladesh Poultry Farm Protection National Council Kishoreganj district branch made four demands at the press conference. The demands are that the price of eggs and broiler chickens should be determined by the government at the farmer, dealer and consumer level.
A national committee comprising the concerned Ministry of Livestock, Ministry of Commerce, Consumer Rights, Farmers Representative, feed mill Representative, Hatchery Owners Representative to fix the price of poultry products every 15 days or one month. As in the agriculture sector, the government provides incentives with subsidies on fertilizers, medicines, electricity, etc., to keep the price of eggs at a tolerable level by subsidizing the price of chicks and feed to poultry farmers.
Reliable monitoring by the Government through National Committee to bring the price of poultry feed to bearable level.
Kishoreganj Chamber of Commerce and Industries President Mujibur Rahman Belal, Vice President Iqbal Ahmed Chowdhury Apu, Member Alauddin Master, Bangladesh Poultry Farm Protection National Council Kishoreganj District Branch General Secretary Md Sadekur Rahman and others were present at the press conference.
Later, Bangladesh Poultry Farm Protection National Council Kishoreganj district branch held a human chain and protest march for an hour.