DHAKA: Farm-produced poultry birds are rapidly replacing the market of comparatively dear domestic chickens in the country, bringing a change in the dishes of consumers.
While visiting different poultry markets in city’s Fakirerpul, Hatirpul, Rampura, Malibagh, Mirpur and Shantinagar areas, this correspondent found the white-feathered broiler chickens having flooded these chicken markets.
Domestic variety of cocks and hens are a rarity. If any, they are mostly foreign breeds—from Pakistani or Indonesian stocks, or so.
A number of buyers said they are being compelled to buy the farm chickens weighing their reasonable prices against that of the domestic ones.
Rahmat Ali, a trader at Hatirpul bazaar, said, “Farm-produced fowls are available at a cheaper cost than domestic ones’ because of their non-availability. This forces people to buy the farm-bred chickens.”
The Livestock Department first introduced the farm poultry and its nurturing programme in the country in 1993. But, now, the farm owners under the private sector have engaged in marketing poultry birds on a large scale, capturing much of the poultry market within a short period of time.
The government had taken the initiative to match up the country’s growing demand for protein and supply. But, despite the plentiful production of poultry birds in the private sector, it could not reduce the production shortfall.
According to the 2009-2010 annual report of the Livestock Department, some 221.39 million poultry birds are produced in the country annually—too small a national output to meet the total demand. Despite production of 61.6 lakh tons of meat, the country still suffers a steep 83 percent deficit on this count.
The annual production of eggs are 469 crore pieces against the demand for 1,462 crore.
Only 40 eggs per head are produced annually in the country against the demand for 104 pieces.
“The Livestock Department is working hard to recover the production shortfalls of meat and eggs. But, apart from the government initiatives, private entrepreneurs should go forward with production and marketing porgramme, ensuring the quality of production,” said Dr. Sunil Chandra Gain, Director of the Department of Livestock Services.
The annual reports of UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) prepared for last 10 years show in the year 2002, Bangladesh had imported livestock products spending 73.5 million US dollars. The spending stood at 85 million dollars in 2009.
Regarding government’s infrastructural preparation in the sector, Dr. Azizur Rahman, Assistant Director of the production department of the Livestock Department, said, “We have only eight hatcheries for hen, five egg-producing farms and 20 more farms for nurturing chicks. Now necessary funds are needed for development of the sector.”
He also said these farms at present produce 43 lakh to 45 lakh pieces of egg annually, and the production would have doubled if the government had sanctioned Tk 12 crore more in the budget.
The government-run farms now produce two species of poultry birds-- FAIOMI and Red Island Red (RIR)—which are almost similar to the domestic ones.
On the other hand, Tk 8 crore was sanctioned for the food sector under the department in the fiscal year 2009-2009. The same was the quantum allocated for the department for last two fiscal years. The department sought a budget allocation of Tk 15.12 crore for the 2010-2011 fiscal while Tk 16.63 crore for 2011-2012.
M Fazlul Huq, Deputy Director of the Fisheries and Livestock Information Office, said the department is trying relentlessly to encourage people in this sector.
“Some 21 lakh people were engaged in this sector in 2000-01 period while the number increased to nearly 31 lakh. This statistics proved the growing interest of people in this sector,” he said.
Leading poultry farmers say this sector has a great potential to grow to a great extent, no less than the export-oriented readymade garment industry, and its value addition is much higher than that of garments.
BDST 1300 HRS, JUNE 14, 2010
