Eggs are still not available in the market at the price set by the government. The Ministry of Commerce has allowed the import of eggs to reduce the price. Despite this, in the last few days, the traders have again increased the price of eggs up to 10 taka per dozen.
In the capital two days ago, the farm's chicken eggs were sold at Tk 150 per dozen. But now it is 160 taka.
On September 14, the Ministry of Commerce fixed the price of eggs. The price of each piece of egg is fixed at 12 taka. The local administration along with the consumer department came into the field to implement this price. Raids were conducted in different parts of the country and fines were also imposed. However, the fixed price was not implemented in the market.
After talking to several organizations that got permission to import eggs in the first and second phases, if the eggs imported from India come to the country, each egg can be sold in the market for 10 taka.
Wholesale egg traders said that the supply of eggs has reduced due to the rains of the past few days. Apart from this, the demand for eggs in the market also increases when it rains. So the price has also increased. As of now, the price of an egg is around 13.50 taka. For, a dozen eggs, common people have to pay more than the fixed price of about 16 taka. Buyers also expressed dissatisfaction with the increase in the price of eggs, which are one of the staples of the daily diet.
Egg traders said that the supply of eggs was very low for a few days due to continuous rain. In this, the price of every 100 eggs has increased up to 50 taka. Now the weather is normalizing, the prices will come down in a day or two.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Competition Commission has fined two companies about Tk 8.5 crore in a case related to the abnormal increase in the price of broiler chicken. The penalty was settled on two separate cases filed against the two companies last Monday.
According to sources from the commission, In September last year, a case was filed against 36 companies after the price of various products increased in the country's market. Then there was a case against these two institutions. In one of these cases, Kazi Farms Limited was fined Tk 5 crore for allegedly increasing the price of broiler chicken. Saguna Foods Bangladesh Limited was fined Tk 3 crore 44 lakh in another case on the same complaint.
(The report was published in Bengali on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on October 11 and rewritten in English by Tanvir Raihan)
