Poultry entrepreneurs place 11-point demands

UNB

Published at 08:43 pm October 9th, 2021

Poultry industry Bangladesh Poultry Industry Forum

Members of Bangladesh Poultry Industry Forum and Bangladesh SME Forum address the media during a briefing in the capital on Saturday, October 9, 2021 UNB

The industry was experiencing a severe crisis due to recent increase in the price of its raw materials, including feeds and chicks, they said

Poultry growers on Saturday placed 11 demands including access to easy and soft loans for the root-level poultry farmers through stimulus package, and checking the illogical price hike of poultry feeds and chicks.

Bangladesh Poultry Industry Forum (BPIF) placed the demands at a discussion meeting, organized by Bangladesh SME Forum, at Economic Reporters Forum (ERF) Auditorium in the city on Saturday.

M Mamun, president of both Bangladesh SME Forum and Bangladesh Poultry Industry Forum, chaired the event, where other speakers included former additional secretary Sheikh Rezaul Islam, Dhaka University teacher Latiful Bari, ERF general secretary MM Rashidul Islam, Borhanuddin, Abdur Rahim, Lotus Parvez, Manik Sheikh, Sujan Sarker, Tahmid Hasan and Masuma Khatun.

BPIF leaders said that the poultry industry was experiencing a severe crisis due to recent increase in the price of its raw materials, including feeds and chicks.

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A strong syndicate of unscrupulous business has been responsible for the recent crisis and the government should find them out to punish them, said M Mamun.

The BPIF leaders also alleged that although the poultry products are selling at higher prices in the local market, the actual farmers at the grass root levels are not getting the benefit of it.

Rather, a middle group is being benefited from the increased price of the products, they observed.

They also said that the industry owners are not receiving due financial support from the government although a stimulus package was announced for the industrial sector.

Many poultry owners had to shut down their industries facing a huge loss in the business during the Covid-19 pandemic situation.

The farmers are now switching to other businesses from this losing concern, they observed.

Also Read - Poultry industry seeks tax cuts, exemptions for FY22 budget

They also demanded formulating a pro-industrial policy to support the poultry industry.