The government has no plan to allow the import of farm eggs with an eye to protecting the interests of the domestic poultry industry.
It wants to market eggs at a reasonable price for consumers through local production of such protein.
Fisheries and livestock ministry made the decision last month following a request from a number of local traders to commerce ministry on egg import from neighbouring India.
"There is no scope to allow egg import for the sake of maintaining continuity of the growth of the local poultry sector," according to the meeting.
Following the plea, commerce ministry sought necessary recommendations to livestock ministry in this regard.
Business enterprises want to import eggs to meet the supply deficit and help stabilise price in the market.
They expect that consumers can buy eggs at Tk 6.5 or maximum Tk 7.0 apiece from the retail market.
In mid-August, the price of farm eggs (brown) hit a record high of Tk 160-180 a dozen in the market.
However, egg came down in price slightly due to various government moves. Egg now retails at Tk 9.0-10 apiece.
When contacted, Cheese Gallery managing director Jakir Hossain said, "Currently, per-piece egg is being sold at Rs 4.0-4.50 in different Indian markets."
"We've requested the government for duty exemption in egg import. Per-piece egg can be sold at Tk 7.0 in Bangladesh market after all expenses after duty-free import."
In a recent hearing on egg import from India, local poultry farmers expressed deep concern over the import proposal through a press conference.
It would be suicidal for the local poultry industry as its growth would be badly affected if the government allows egg import, they stated.
They said the egg market is now stable. Local producers can amply meet the domestic demand, according to them.
Officials said some government high-ups wanted to allow egg import while some are against it with intent to protect the local poultry sector.
Insiders suggested that the government take necessary steps to import poultry feed as the sector has to spend an estimated 80 per cent on procuring the food.
Sector insiders have attributed the surge in poultry and egg prices to a rise in prices of feed and day-old-chicks along with the closure of many farms.
The ministry concerned at the meeting suggested searching alternative feed for the sector for a reduction in egg production cost.
Small farmers are selling eggs at lower prices than their production costs. Earlier, it took Tk 6.0-6.50 to produce per-piece egg.
Currently, Tk 10-10.50 is needed to produce the same, reads the meeting minutes.
The annual local egg output rose to 23.35-billion pieces in fiscal year 2021-22 against a target for 22.66 billion, according to livestock department.
But the country is likely to fail the target to produce 23.15-billion eggs this fiscal.
Only 5.97-billion eggs have so far been produced until September 2022 mainly due to the shutdown of a number of poultry farms.
In line with Bangladesh's becoming a developed country target by 2041, a healthy nation is also desirable, which can be achieved through per-capita annual intake of 208 pieces of egg.
Available data shows the country's currently annual per-capita egg consumption is 136 pieces.
An average person needs to eat a minimum of 104 eggs annually, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
Forty-million eggs are produced daily in the country. Of them, 9.0-12 per cent is produced by big poultry farms and the rest by small farms in rural areas.
