Rising feed, medicine and electricity costs put Kurigram's 275 poultry farms at risk of closure

Poultry farmers in Kurigram district are in deep trouble as the prices of feed, medicine and electricity keep rising. Production costs have climbed sharply, but egg prices in the market have not, so farmers are counting losses and the livelihoods of thousands of people tied to the sector face deep uncertainty.

Kurigram district has a total of 275 poultry farms. Around 200,000 eggs are produced and traded from these farms every day. After meeting the district's own demand, the eggs are also sent to different parts of the country.

Speaking to farmers, it was learned that the prices of poultry feed and chicken medicine have risen at an abnormal rate over the past few months. Added to that is the burden of extra electricity bills. After meeting all costs, producing one egg costs farmers between Tk 8.50 and Tk 9, yet in the market that egg often has to be sold for only Tk 9 to Tk 9.50. As a result, they are running at a loss most of the time.

Abdur Rahim, manager of Munshi Poultry Farm in the Khejurer Tola area of Barovita Union in Fulbari upazila, said his farm has 5,500 chickens. With feed, medicine, electricity and transport costs all higher, producing one egg now costs them Tk 8.50 to Tk 9, while it sells in the market for Tk 9 to Tk 9.50.

Farm worker Ekramul Haque said they have to work extremely hard from dawn through the day. But whenever egg prices fall, owners fall into loss, and the impact lands on the workers' jobs. As losses grow and staff are cut, workers too are passing their days in fear, he said.

Another worker, Milan Chandra, said he comes to the farm at 5am, gives feed and water, and then the farm floor is cleaned. Eggs are collected at around 11:30am, and a second collection at around 5:30pm is kept in the store. Like him, thousands of people in the district run their families by working on these farms; if owners cannot make a profit, he asked how these workers will survive.

Liaquat Ali Ritu, president of the Kurigram District Poultry Association and a farm owner, said their demand to the government is to bring feed and medicine prices under control and to charge farms the agricultural rate for electricity instead of the commercial rate. Otherwise, he warned, farmers' businesses will shut down and they will be ruined after spending lakhs of taka.

District Livestock Officer Dr Habibur Rahman acknowledged the rising prices and said the government is considering reducing duties on imports of feed raw materials and subsidising electricity bills. If implemented, he said, farmers will benefit.