Saturday, 21 December, 2024
The country is facing a shortage of eggs as wholesalers have ceased sales, citing losses due to government-imposed price controls, consumers allege.
The Department of Livestock Services had set a ‘fair price’ for eggs, but wholesalers claim they cannot purchase eggs at those rates, resulting in fines for selling above the regulated prices. In response, many wholesalers have halted sales, leading to shortages in retail markets.
Kamrul Islam, who visited the egg stalls at Karwan Bazar after work on Monday evening, was surprised to find only one vendor, selling duck eggs instead of the usual chicken eggs. "Where can I get eggs?" Sajal asked the vendor, Md Nasir, who replied, "We couldn’t get any ourselves. So where will you find them?"
Expressing frustration, Islam said, "I don’t understand what’s going on with eggs. The price rises, there’s a crackdown, and now you can’t find them anywhere." A retailer at Karwan Bazar confirmed, “We can’t sell eggs. The wholesalers have shut their shops because they say it’s not profitable for them."
Over the past two years, egg prices have steadily increased. After the interim government took office, the livestock department set a price ceiling on September 15, fixing the farm-level price at Tk 10.58 per egg, the wholesale price at Tk 11.01, and the retail price at Tk 11.87.
However, wholesalers report that eggs are not available at these rates, claiming they pay over Tk 12.50 per egg to bring them to Dhaka—higher than the government’s set retail price.
Despite these challenges, the Directorate of National Consumers' Right Protection (DNCRP) has fined several businesses up to Tk 100,000 for overpricing in both Dhaka and Chattogram.
During a visit to Karwan Bazar, Commerce Advisor Salahuddin Ahmed was questioned about the egg shortage. He said, "There’s no supply. We produce 45 to 50 million eggs, but I can’t just manufacture eggs with a machine."
Market Situation
On Monday evening, egg wholesale markets in Dhaka’s Malibagh area remained closed, with traders confirming they had stopped sales since Sunday night. No vehicles were sent to farms on Monday, and pick-up vans were instructed to halt operations for two days. “We are supposed to sell eggs at Tk 11.01 as per the government rate, but we’re buying them from farms at Tk 12.50,” said a member of the Malibagh Egg Traders' Association.
Some vegetable sellers at Malibagh Bazar reported that no vehicles had been dispatched for deliveries since Sunday night. “I heard they couldn’t send trucks because it’s not profitable for them,” one seller said, pointing to idle trucks. A truck driver added, “We were told by the egg association not to bring in eggs for two days, so none of us have gone.”
When asked if deliveries would resume on Tuesday, the driver, Mannan, responded, “We haven’t been informed yet.”
As wholesalers halt sales, many consumers at Karwan Bazar are leaving empty-handed.
Situation in the Old City
Unlike Malibagh, Dhaka’s oldest wholesale market, Kaptan Bazar, continues to operate. “Our market is still running normally,” said wholesaler Md Masud. However, the government’s ‘fair price’ is not being followed. “Yesterday, we bought eggs for Tk 12.55 each, including transport, and sold them for Tk 12.80,” Masud explained. “But today, we bought at Tk 13, which means we’ll lose money tomorrow.”
He added, “We can't sell at a lower price than what we buy for.”
Chattogram’s Market
In Chattogram’s Pahartali market, egg sales have also been suspended since Monday, according to Abdul Shukkur, general secretary of the Egg Traders' Cooperative Association.
“We’re supposed to make Tk 0.20 to Tk 0.30 profit per egg. But we’ve been fined Tk 100,000 for selling at Tk 12.80, which is the market rate,” Shukkur said. He added that the market price was Tk 12.80 on Monday, but it would rise to Tk 13.30 on Tuesday.
Pahartali market, a major distribution hub that sells 2.2 to 2.5 million eggs daily to the city and surrounding areas, has seen retail prices soar to Tk 1,400 per hundred eggs, with individual eggs selling for Tk 15.
Despite traders’ claims, Fayez Ullah, deputy director of the DNCRP in Chattogram, maintained a firm stance. “We’ve heard they’ve stopped selling eggs, but we can’t let them run businesses illegally. They must comply with the law,” he said.
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The country is facing a shortage of eggs as wholesalers have ceased sales, citing losses due to government-imposed price controls, consumers allege.
The Department of Livestock Services had set a ‘fair price’ for eggs, but wholesalers claim they cannot purchase eggs at those rates, resulting in fines for selling above the regulated prices. In response, many wholesalers have halted sales, leading to shortages in retail markets.
Kamrul Islam, who visited the egg stalls at Karwan Bazar after work on Monday evening, was surprised to find only one vendor, selling duck eggs instead of the usual chicken eggs. "Where can I get eggs?" Sajal asked the vendor, Md Nasir, who replied, "We couldn’t get any ourselves. So where will you find them?"
Expressing frustration, Islam said, "I don’t understand what’s going on with eggs. The price rises, there’s a crackdown, and now you can’t find them anywhere." A retailer at Karwan Bazar confirmed, “We can’t sell eggs. The wholesalers have shut their shops because they say it’s not profitable for them."
Over the past two years, egg prices have steadily increased. After the interim government took office, the livestock department set a price ceiling on September 15, fixing the farm-level price at Tk 10.58 per egg, the wholesale price at Tk 11.01, and the retail price at Tk 11.87.
However, wholesalers report that eggs are not available at these rates, claiming they pay over Tk 12.50 per egg to bring them to Dhaka—higher than the government’s set retail price.
Despite these challenges, the Directorate of National Consumers' Right Protection (DNCRP) has fined several businesses up to Tk 100,000 for overpricing in both Dhaka and Chattogram.
During a visit to Karwan Bazar, Commerce Advisor Salahuddin Ahmed was questioned about the egg shortage. He said, "There’s no supply. We produce 45 to 50 million eggs, but I can’t just manufacture eggs with a machine."
Market Situation
On Monday evening, egg wholesale markets in Dhaka’s Malibagh area remained closed, with traders confirming they had stopped sales since Sunday night. No vehicles were sent to farms on Monday, and pick-up vans were instructed to halt operations for two days. “We are supposed to sell eggs at Tk 11.01 as per the government rate, but we’re buying them from farms at Tk 12.50,” said a member of the Malibagh Egg Traders' Association.
Some vegetable sellers at Malibagh Bazar reported that no vehicles had been dispatched for deliveries since Sunday night. “I heard they couldn’t send trucks because it’s not profitable for them,” one seller said, pointing to idle trucks. A truck driver added, “We were told by the egg association not to bring in eggs for two days, so none of us have gone.”
When asked if deliveries would resume on Tuesday, the driver, Mannan, responded, “We haven’t been informed yet.”
As wholesalers halt sales, many consumers at Karwan Bazar are leaving empty-handed.
Situation in the Old City
Unlike Malibagh, Dhaka’s oldest wholesale market, Kaptan Bazar, continues to operate. “Our market is still running normally,” said wholesaler Md Masud. However, the government’s ‘fair price’ is not being followed. “Yesterday, we bought eggs for Tk 12.55 each, including transport, and sold them for Tk 12.80,” Masud explained. “But today, we bought at Tk 13, which means we’ll lose money tomorrow.”
He added, “We can't sell at a lower price than what we buy for.”
Chattogram’s Market
In Chattogram’s Pahartali market, egg sales have also been suspended since Monday, according to Abdul Shukkur, general secretary of the Egg Traders' Cooperative Association.
“We’re supposed to make Tk 0.20 to Tk 0.30 profit per egg. But we’ve been fined Tk 100,000 for selling at Tk 12.80, which is the market rate,” Shukkur said. He added that the market price was Tk 12.80 on Monday, but it would rise to Tk 13.30 on Tuesday.
Pahartali market, a major distribution hub that sells 2.2 to 2.5 million eggs daily to the city and surrounding areas, has seen retail prices soar to Tk 1,400 per hundred eggs, with individual eggs selling for Tk 15.
Despite traders’ claims, Fayez Ullah, deputy director of the DNCRP in Chattogram, maintained a firm stance. “We’ve heard they’ve stopped selling eggs, but we can’t let them run businesses illegally. They must comply with the law,” he said.
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