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Prices of eggs and meat of poultry chicken will remain rational during the upcoming Ramadan, ensuring that these two essential items remain affordable for consumers.
The assurance was given at a seminar titled "Building a Resilient Poultry Industry in Bangladesh: Evolution, Challenges, and Strategies," organised by the World Poultry Science Association-Bangladesh branch (WAPSA-BB) and the Bangladesh Poultry Industries Central Council (BPICC).
Fisheries and Livestock Journalists Forum (FLJF) organised the seminar, held at the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU)'s Shafiqul Kabir Auditorium on Thursday.
Sales from trucks, supervised by the Department of Livestock Services, will offer eggs and chicken at affordable prices throughout Ramadan with support from the industries, says BPICC leaders at the programme.
This initiative aims to support consumers during the holy month of fasting as part of stabilising the market.
The seminar also announced the upcoming 'International Poultry Seminar' scheduled for February 18-19 at a hotel in the capital, followed by the 13th International Poultry Show 2025 from February 20 to February 22 in the city.
Over 200 companies from 17 countries will showcase the latest technologies and products in the poultry industry.
WAPSA-BB President Moshiur Rahman said that the poultry industry faced significant challenges in 2024 due to excessive rainfall, droughts, disease outbreaks, and market volatility.
Many farmers were left destitute, and several large corporate entities were forced to downsize their operations, he said.
However, he expressed optimism about the industry's recovery, emphasising the importance of modernising farm management, increasing research investments, and boosting technology to ensure high-quality protein production.
Mr Rahman also said the industry is working for a long-term strategy to strengthen the poultry sector, with a focus on achieving sustainable growth by 2050.
WAPSA-BB General Secretary Bipul Kumar Pramanik said that while feed production declined after 2020, it saw a slight recovery last year.
He expresseed hope for further growth in egg and chicken production this year.
Breeders Association of Bangladesh (BAB) president Mahbubur Rahman raised concern about the disparity between government-fixed retail prices and actual market rate.
Though the government set the maximum retail price of egg at Tk11.87 each, it is being sold at Tk10.50 in the market, he added.
He said that prices might drop further during Ramadan, making it difficult for small-scale farmers to recover from losses.
He called for government and stakeholder support to protect the marginal farmers.
Mohammad Nazrul Islam, general secretary of the Feed Industries Association, stressed the importance of preventing farmer dropouts and building a sustainable and resilient poultry industry.
He emphasised the need for collective efforts to strengthen the sector's foundation.
Chaired by FLJF president Munna Rayhan, the event was addressed, among others, by RTV Head of News Elias Hossain and FLJF General Secretary Zahidur Rahman.
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