Poultry sector on the brink of collapse: Bangladesh Poultry Association warns of halting egg and chicken production

In a statement sent to the media on Thursday (October 30), the BPA warned that the sector is on the verge of collapse, which could affect the livelihoods of around 5 to 6 million people—of whom approximately 40 percent are women and 60 percent are educated unemployed youth.

The BPA alleged that despite stable international prices of poultry feed raw materials, the costs in Bangladesh have skyrocketed due to corporate syndicate control and government inaction. Rising prices of feed, chicks, medicines, and vaccines are forcing small farmers to incur losses every day.

The BPA has presented seven key demands, which include:

1. Breaking the corporate syndicate and setting government-controlled prices for feed, chicks, medicine, and vaccines.

2. Ensuring a transparent and fair market system.

3. Including small-scale farmers’ associations in policy-making processes.

4. Conducting regular audits and publishing reports on the feed, chick, and medicine markets.

5. Fixing fair prices for eggs and chickens by adding a 10% profit margin to production costs.

6. Providing collateral-free loans, incentives, and subsidies to affected farmers.

7. Taking administrative action against corrupt and corporate-aligned officials involved in policymaking.

The BPA’s Secretary General stated that if these demands are not met, small farmers will be forced to halt production in stages to protect the sector. He warned that the collapse of this industry would severely impact Bangladesh’s largest agriculture-based sector.

The BPA believes that due to the government’s silence and the monopolistic control of corporate syndicates over the market, small-scale poultry farmers are struggling to survive. It emphasized that active government intervention and a fair market structure are essential to prevent the industry’s complete downfall.