Jhenaidah is facing a shortage of chicks. They are hard to get even at high prices, so most farms in the district are lying empty. This has affected the retail market, and low- and middle-income people are struggling as chicken prices rise.

Farmers say no new chicks are coming from the big companies, and their farms have been empty for some time for lack of chicks. But the livestock officer says there is no shortage of chickens and prices will soon fall.

At Mohammad Ali's home in Bhutiargati village of Jhenaidah Sadar upazila, he has two farms. The chickens in one have grown and will be ready for sale within a few days, but the other farm has been standing ready and empty for some time because he cannot get chicks.

Farmer Mohammad Ali said, "The big chick-producing farms have formed a syndicate and are not giving us chicks. Where they are available, the price is far too high. The companies also raise feed prices every month. In a word, we farmers are captive to the chick and feed syndicates, so we face losses. This affects consumers."

Another farmer, Munna Mia, said, "Chicks are not available. The few that are cost Tk 68 each. Lights and fans have to run on the farm all the time, but electricity prices have risen twice, and feed is very expensive too. Some chicks also die. So many farmers don't want to buy chicks at such prices."

Manik Mia, a chicken seller in Jhenaidah town, said, "Although prices are high, there is plenty of demand for chicken in the market. It is wrong to say the farms have no chickens at all, but we are getting somewhat fewer than demand."

A person involved in the chick trade, who did not want to be named, said, "We have invested lakhs of taka, but the companies are not giving chicks. They are opening big farms and supplying chicks there, not to small farmers and traders. Some local chick-producing farms do supply chicks, but they charge far too much."

However, District Livestock Officer Dr Monojit Kumar Sarkar claims there is no shortage of chickens for now. He said many people had not stocked their farms a while ago because chick prices were high, but prices have now fallen and everyone has started stocking again. He hopes chicken prices in the market will also fall soon.

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