Within a week, prices of all kinds of chicken in Feni have risen by Tk 40 to 50 a kg. Sellers say higher feed prices have affected the market, and buyers are being forced to pay more.

On the first day of this month, Md Ilias, a resident of the Rampur area of the town, bought broiler at Tk 140 and layer chicken at Tk 250 from Shahin Murgi Bitan on Abu Bakkar Road. On Thursday (9 February) he went to buy chicken at Feni Boro Bazar and found broiler selling at Tk 190 a kg and layer at Tk 295.

Asked why prices had risen, chicken trader Bahar Uddin said prices had gone up at the wholesale farms, so traders had to buy at a higher price and were forced to sell higher.

On the spot, Sonali chicken was selling at Tk 270 a kg, deshi chicken at Tk 470 and deshi duck at Tk 380. Buyers were paying the higher prices because they had no choice.

Farm owner Shahid Ullah told Jago News that feed prices have risen by Tk 150 a bag for Sonali chicken, by Tk 50 to 150 for broiler depending on type, and by Tk 30 for layer feed. In addition, chickens fall sick and die with the weather changes of winter, and many farmers stop raising birds at this time. Production then falls short of demand, and traders raise prices.

Feni agricultural marketing officer Harun Or Rashid said that if any trader sells chicken at an inflated price without reason, action will be taken with the help and under the direction of the district administration.

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