Kurigram Correspondent:

In Ulipur Upazila, broiler meat increased by 80 taka per kg in four days. A visit to Durgapur Bazar and Panch Pir Bazar showed that on Saturday (February 14), broiler chicken meat was being sold for 290-300 taka per kg. The price of broiler chicken is increasing uncontrollably. In the last four days, the price of broiler chicken has increased by 70-80 taka per kg and is currently being sold for 300 taka. The government's Department of Agricultural Marketing has fixed the prices of 29 products such as fish, meat, eggs, pulses and vegetables in the retail market.

The notification said that under the power of Section 4(j) of the Agricultural Marketing Act 2018, reasonable prices of some daily essential agricultural products have been fixed. Until further instructions are given, a request has been made to buy and sell agricultural products at the fixed price. There, the production cost of broiler chicken is 145 taka and 78 paisa. The price at the producer level is 151 taka 81 paisa, at the wholesale level 162 taka 69 paisa and at the retail level 175 taka 30 paisa. However, it is not being sold anywhere at this price.

Similarly, the production cost of beef is 587 taka 50 paisa. The price per kg at the producer level is 605 taka 13 paisa, at the wholesale level 631 taka 69 paisa and at the retail level 664 taka 39 paisa. However, in today's market, it has been seen that beef is being sold at 700 taka per kg. Consumers are calling this price increase abnormal.

A woman bought 1 kg of broiler chicken meat from Panchpir market for 290 taka. She said, 'We have become hostages. There are only a few days left of this Ramadan. That is why I will buy chicken, I thought the price would be lower in Durgapur market. Here too, it is 300 taka per kg.'

She said, 'How will we run our family. If the cost of food is so high for a family of four, how can we run the family when the monthly salary is only a few thousand taka? The government has fixed the price, but the traders are not following it. Even if it is considering the low-income people, the government needs to emphasize market monitoring.' He also said, 'The price of beef has long been beyond our reach.

From what I see, I will not be able to buy chicken in the future.'" Md. Anisur Rahman, an employee of the popular poultry broiler house owner Md. Enamul Islam, said, 'What can we do, we have to buy whole chickens wholesale for 200 taka per kg. And the chickens die in the summer. Besides, we have to rent the shop, pay the salaries of the workers. If we sell less than this, there is no profit.' He said, 'In the last four days, the price of broiler chicken has increased by about 80 taka per kg.'

Enamul Islam said, 'The supply of chicken is less than the market demand, so the price is higher. The price has increased in wholesale, so it has affected the retail.' According to the government agency Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), the price of broiler chicken was Tk 190 per kg at this time last year.

The government has fixed the prices of 29 products like fish, meat, eggs, pulses and vegetables in the retail market. Therefore, ordinary daily wage workers have demanded that the Kurigram administration monitor the markets.