SIRAJGANJ, Sept 18: The poultry industry of the district is facing setback due to price hike of feed and other essentials.
Due to high production cost, many interested people are unwilling to set up new farms. On the other hand, the existing farm owners are counting repeated losses as they are not getting expected price of their produce.
The farm owners said they can change the negative scenario of the industry if they get interest free loans and the price of chick and feed is reduced.
Farm owner Enamul Haque Ripon of Nandinamadhu Village in Kamarkhand Upazila said, "I set up my farm with 4,000 layer poultry in 2000. I faced loss worth about Taka 20 lakh when all the poultry died following bird flu attack in 2006. Later, I restarted the farm and now there are 2,000 poultry. My production cost in per egg is Taka 5.50 but I had to sell it at Taka 4.50. Due to reduction of price in last Ramadan, I had to incur loss worth about Taka 8,000 daily."
Another farm owner Abdur Rashid of the same village said, "I started the farm with 4,000 poultry in 2008. Due to price hike of chick, feed and medicines and price fall of eggs, I closed my farm with 1,200 poultry last year. In this connection, I suffered loss worth about Taka 6 lakh. In last five years, about 50 farms were closed for this reason."
Razu Ahmed of Zarila Village in the upazila said, "I started the farm six years ago. I made profit in initial stage but due to price hike of farm essentials and repeated loss, I had to close the farm two years back."
Owner of a farm in Sadar Upazila Naresh Chandra Bhoumik said, "The price of farm essentials fluctuates always. When the price increases, we have to sell eggs at fewer prices. In last 10 years, I incurred losses worth about Taka 25 lakh. But, still I'm running the farm. If the negative factors still remain, I will have to close the farm in next two years. If the government gives special attention, the local poultry industry may rise again."
President of Sirajganj Poultry Industry Owners' Association S A Farid said, "Per piece of layer chick was Taka 30 to 35 six years back but now it is selling at Taka 130 to 140. We have to buy medicines and feed at more prices. There is lack of marketing facilities for egg and poultry."
He also said Indian multinational companies are trying to take over the local poultry industry. The government should check the intrusion of Indian poultry products to Bangladesh. Besides, the price of essentials should be reduced.
District Livestock Department and farm owner sources said the local poultry industry started to expand during 80's of the last century. Many farms were set up in 1996 and many unemployed youths dreamt of becoming self-reliant in this way. But, avian influenza caused havoc on the industry. Later, about 8,000 farms were set up. But, due to flood in 2007 and avian influenza attack in 2012, many farms were shut down. The farm owners are still trying to recoup that loss. About half of the farms were stopped in last 10 years while many are running somehow. Now, there are 1,070 layer and 2,449 broiler poultry farms and 1,210 duck farms in the district. About 30 crore eggs and 2 lakh metric tons of chicken are produced from these farms annually.
District Livestock Officer Dr Md Akhteruzzaman Bhuiyan said poultry industry has great potential if it gets favourable condition. Once, there were many farms but now many of those have been closed. Though the production cost has increased, the farm owners are not getting expected price of their produce.
He also said there is lack of proper marketing facility for the industry. Steps should be taken for its survival.
