AHM Safiquzzaman, director general of the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP), has called for an investigation into why broiler chicken costs Tk 250 a kg. He said a syndicate of dishonest traders is fixing unreasonable chicken prices and intelligence agencies need to step up surveillance. Every shop must display a price list, he said, or action will be taken against the market committee.

The DG said this at a meeting with wholesale and retail poultry traders at the directorate's head office on Thursday (9 March).

In the preceding days the directorate had run monitoring drives at various wholesale chicken markets and shops and found various irregularities. The traders had been summoned to explain them.

The DG said a few dishonest traders are destabilising the market across the country by setting unreasonable prices, and intelligence surveillance needs to increase. The Bangladesh Competition Commission must look into why broiler sells at Tk 250 when it costs Tk 167 to produce, he said. The Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission should analyse the Tk 250 price, and the Department of Livestock Services should consider setting chicken prices. "I will talk to all the agencies about this," he said.

He added that shops must have price lists and purchase and sale receipts; otherwise the market committee will be held responsible and strict action taken.

The meeting discussed failures to display price lists, to keep proper purchase receipts or cash memos, and to give buyers cash memos, as well as short weighing and non-cooperation with law enforcement agencies and authorities.

Present were directorate director Monjur Mohammad Shahriar with deputy and assistant directors from the head office, and representatives of the Bangladesh Competition Commission, the Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission, the Department of Livestock Services, the NSI and the DGFI. Also present were the president of the Bangladesh Shop Owners' Association and representatives of the Bangladesh Broiler Association, the Feed Industry Association of Bangladesh, the FBCCI, CAB and various market associations including the Kaptan Bazar association, along with the president and general secretary of the Bangladesh Poultry Association and other wholesale and retail poultry traders.

Representatives of the Mohammadpur wholesale broiler house, the president of the Mohammadpur market association, the president of the Bangladesh Poultry Association and representatives of Kazi Farms said poultry prices have risen because of higher feed prices, the lack of a proper price-setting rule, the dollar crisis and lower chick production.

The DG said a written report with recommendations on stabilising poultry prices and keeping supply normal would be sent to the commerce ministry.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.