Sunita SomvanshiBangladesh is addressing growing concerns about egg affordability and supply. On September 9, the government’s fisheries and livestock sector held discussions about domestic production capacity. The Bangladesh Poultry Association has stated that local poultry farmers have the capacity to produce enough eggs to meet national demand.
Bangladesh needs approximately 40 to 45 million eggs daily to feed its population. That’s a massive volume. The question for policymakers is whether domestic farmers can produce them reliably and affordably. Egg and meat production programs in South Asia demonstrate the potential for expanding poultry output through coordinated supply chains.
Fisheries and Livestock State Minister Sultan Salahuddin Tuku outlined the government’s position on planned, sustainable development of the poultry sector. He called for increased egg and meat production while maintaining reasonable prices. He also emphasized planned and sustainable development of the poultry sector rather than short-term import-dependent approaches.
Why are eggs expensive? Feed costs represent the largest expense for poultry farmers. Rising prices of imported feed ingredients like corn and soybean meal impact production costs directly. Day-old chick prices have increased significantly. These input costs squeeze farmers’ profit margins, which gets passed to consumers at the market.
The minister’s office signaled concrete action. The government plans consultations with marginal farmers in major poultry-producing areas including Gazipur, Dhamrai, Manikganj, and Tangail to understand their specific problems and identify solutions. This ground-level engagement suggests the government is attempting to understand farmer challenges at the source.
Food safety emerged as another priority in the government’s framework. The minister stressed reducing unnecessary antibiotic use in poultry farming and ensuring poultry feed quality through regular testing. Antibiotics in animal feed have become a global health concern because resistant bacteria can spread to humans. Bangladesh is addressing this concern through policy focus.
There’s also a longer-term angle. Bangladesh’s livestock researchers have developed two new poultry breeds that reportedly reduce feed costs by 10 percent. If these breeds work as promised, farmers could keep more of their revenue instead of spending it on expensive imported feed. That’s meaningful for producers operating on tight margins.
The government has previously stated ambitions to make the poultry sector export-oriented by 2030. That’s a bigger vision. But that goal only works if domestic production is first stable and efficient enough to supply the home market reliably.
