High prices of daily essentials in Dhaka's markets are putting ordinary people under pressure. For two weeks a dozen farm eggs have been selling at Tk 140 to 150, so low-income people are struggling to buy even eggs to meet their protein needs.

A dozen duck eggs sells at Tk 170 to 175. Sellers cite chickens dying because of rain and power cuts, high poultry feed prices and other factors.

Buyers say the administration occasionally runs drives to control the egg market and prices stay in check at those times, but afterwards a syndicate controls egg prices again.

This was the picture in several markets in Shewrapara, Raiyankhola, Mohakhali, Mirpur, Agargaon and Kalyanpur on Wednesday, 26 August.

"Eggs are now expensive even at wholesale. A hundred eggs sell for Tk 1,120 wholesale, so each egg costs Tk 11.20. In retail they sell at Tk 150 a dozen, or Tk 12.50 each," said Sohag Islam, an egg seller at the Mirpur-6 market.

Another trader, Kawsar, said: "Chickens are dying on many farms because there is no electricity. Poultry feed is expensive too, so raising chickens has become costlier, and egg prices have gone up."

An analysis of Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) data shows that the price of a hali (four eggs) has risen by Tk 14 to 16 over six months. For the past two months a hali has sold at Tk 45 to 50.

In February this year a hali cost Tk 34 to 40, or Tk 8 to 10 an egg. The price of a single egg has since risen by Tk 4 to 4.50 to Tk 12 to 12.50.

At the Mirpur-11 kitchen market, salaried worker Siraj Ahmed said: "Every family needs eggs. The way prices are going up a taka or two at a time, I don't know where it will end. Our income isn't rising, but our market costs keep going up. If prices of essentials keep rising like this, it will be very hard for low- and middle-income families to get by."

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