The prices of comparatively cheaper sources of protein witnessed further hike in a week, forcing the commoners and limited-income groups to substantially cut intake.
The animal-and plant-protein sources are Broiler and Sonali chicken, farm egg, cultured fish and pulses.
Broiler chicken reached Tk 240 a kg, Sonali/Pakistani chicken Tk 360 a kg on Monday, marking Tk 10-20 a kg further hike, according to the kitchen market and grocery sources.
Broiler chicken witnessed a 50 per cent hike in a month, according to the state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB).
Farm egg price hit Tk 150-160 a dozen on Monday from Tk 145-155 two days back. The item showed Tk 35-40 a dozen or 30-33 per cent hike in a month.
Golam Mustafa, a grocer at Lalmatia of Mohammadpur in the city, said egg prices showed a hike of Tk 10 a dozen every week since Mid-January.
Cultured ruhi, katla, tilapia, pangas and koi also soared again by Tk 20-30 a kg or 5.0-8.0 per cent in a week, according to the kitchen markets in the city.
Koi was retailed at Tk 280-Tk 350 a kg, pangas at Tk 200-250 a kg and tilapia at Tk 210-260 a kg on Monday.
Plant protein like lentil, khesari, chickpea and anchor pulses showed Tk 5.0-15 a kg hike during the period, making those more costlier for the limited income group.
Farm economist Prof Dr Gazi M Jalil said fish, poultry and dairy feed prices increased by 70-80 per cent in the last one and half years, forcing the farmers to raise prices.
He said feed prices are now Tk 60-75 a kg, hitting a record high.
He added that the pond owners were reducing pangas and tilapia farming because of the higher production costs and lower gains.
Prof Jalil said that thousands of poultry farmers stopped production during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, but are yet to start operation, resulting in a demand and supply gap.
He said higher diesel price and power load shedding are also affecting production severely in the country.
Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) vice president S M Nazer Hossain said the limited-income people have gradually been minimising their daily protein intake due to the substantial hike in major protein sources like broiler chicken, egg, pangas fish or pulses.
He said millions of the poor have been affected by the price surge when their real income dropped compared to that of the rising inflation rate.
He said the number of children and women suffering from malnutrition have been increasing, thus creating severe health hazards.
Meanwhile, The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) at a recent roundtable said the country's 32.5 per cent of children under five were suffering from zinc deficiency and 14 per cent from iron deficiency amid poverty and dietary habits.
Protein items like meat, fish, pulses etc. are better sources of zinc, iron and other nutrition, said the report.
Zinc and other nutrition deficiency have been affecting child growth, cognitive development and other issues.
TCB, however, recorded 30-35 per cent price hike in few cultured fish, 38 per cent in broiler chicken, 28 per cent in egg and 12-15 per cent in pulse in a year.
