The government is set to reduce the prices of eggs, chicks and poultry birds produced by the state-run hatcheries to increase their sales, officials said.
Currently, the sales of eggs, chicks, chickens and ducks are on the decline as their rates are higher than the market price, a senior official of the department of livestock services (DLS) told the FE.
As a result, the state-run hatcheries are struggling to meet the annual sales target and the production activities are facing setback, he mentioned.
"But we have no scope to reduce prices overnight. We have to follow a policy to raise or slash the prices of poultry items," he added.
On the other hand, the private hatcheries can reduce or increase the prices of livestock items at any time as per the market demand.
So, when the private hatcheries cut the prices, state-run hatcheries cannot follow suit immediately. Then the customers become reluctant to purchase eggs, chicks and ducks from the state-run farms, said the official.
On behalf of the DLS, the ministry of fisheries and livestock has already sent a proposal to the finance ministry for the reduction in prices of egg (edible and fertile), day-old chick, and chickens and ducks (two to 28-day-old).
It suggests slashing the prices of poultry birds by 5.0 to 40 per cent, according to the proposal.
Currently, the price of a single day-old chick (unsexed) is fixed at Tk 20 for the period from February to October and at Tk 15 for the period from November to January.
And a single day-old duck chick (unsexed) sells at Tk 20 throughout the year.
The prices of two to 28-day old chicks (hen and duck) are now Tk 40 each.
After receiving the proposal, the finance division is now working on the issue.
The division has also sent a summary in this regard seeking the finance minister's consent, an official of the division told the FE.
Contacted, director (production) of DLS Md Mahbubur Rahman said there are 19 hatcheries under the DLS, 15 of which are for hen and the remaining four are for duck.
Over 14 billion eggs are produced in the country annually against the domestic demand of 16 billion, he said.
Some 120 grams of meat is required for a person daily and the poultry sector meets around 55 per cent of the daily requirement, he added.
Over 8.8 million eggs and 2.6 million chicks, hens and ducks were produced by the state-run hatcheries in the last fiscal year (FY), said a high official of DLS.
