Those who are asking high prices for sacrificial animals through tactics or trickery are bound to lose out, Fisheries and Livestock Minister Md Abdur Rahman has said.

He said this in answer to a journalist's question at a press conference at the Secretariat on 13 June.

Asked about production of sacrificial animals in Bangladesh, the minister said supply exceeded need. "Demand for sacrificial animals is 1 crore 7 lakh, including cattle, goats, sheep and buffalo. We have about 1 crore 30 lakh ready. There are many surplus animals."

A journalist then asked what use the surplus was when the prices being asked for sacrificial cattle worked out at Tk 1,000 per kg of meat. The minister asked where that figure came from.

The journalist said sellers and buyers were saying so. The minister asked: "How did you go into such detail? By what test, or how did you find out?"

Another journalist said: "Honourable minister, cattle are being sold at Tk 550 a kg live weight. About 60 per cent of an animal is discarded. On that basis the price goes above Tk 1,000 a kg."

The minister replied that the price of any product in the market is set by supply and demand. "My responsibility is to see whether supply meets need. I have given the figures. There are another 22 lakh animals in surplus."

"Today someone may push up cattle prices by handling things in various ways and ask high prices," he said. "But at the end of the day they will lose out, because I have the supply of cattle."

He added: "Those who are asking high prices through tactics or all kinds of trickery are bound to lose."

Answering another question, the minister said setting prices was not his job. "The market will set the price. As we understand from the definition in economics, if supply and demand are in balance, the market sets the price. How can I set the market price?"

Asked about egg prices, Abdur Rahman said: "When we sit with them (the farmers), they give the excuse that feed grain is expensive and has to be imported. I will hold a meeting with my ministry's officials. This excuse is not acceptable under any circumstances. If necessary we will sit with them again, work out what one egg costs and what profit should be made, and then set the price. We will certainly keep watch on this."

Fisheries and Livestock Secretary Sayed Mahmud Belal Haider, Additional Secretary Md Abdul Qaium and Department of Fisheries Director General Syed Md Alamgir were among those present at the press conference.

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