Egg prices have increased in several parts of Dhaka due to short supply and bad weather conditions, retail sellers say.
Prices have shot up by Tk 15 to Tk 20 per dozen in a week.
In several kitchen markets in the capital, it was found that eggs were selling at Tk 115 to Tk 125 per dozen, up from Tk 105 to Tk 110 last week.
“I bought a dozen of egg for Tk 105 last week, but I paid Tk 125 today for a dozen from the same shop,” says Shohel Rahman, a resident of Farmgate. "As there is no one to monitor the market, retailers are charging whatever they want.”
Md Jahir, a trader at the Hatirpool kitchen market, said: “I sold per dozen eggs at Tk125 which I sold for TkTk110 a week earlier.
“There is a high demand in the market for eggs, compared to a supply shortage and for that we also had to buy eggs at higher prices than before.”
Meanwhile, prices for every 100 pieces eggs rose by Tk 30 at the wholesale market.
At the wholesale outlets in Karwanbazar, brown eggs were selling at Tk 890, white eggs at Tk 870, local chicken eggs at Tk 1,300, Pakistani chicken eggs at Tk 1,100 and duck eggs between Tk 1,050 and Tk 1,100.
Abdul Bachir Mona, an egg wholesaler at Karwan Bazar, said: “Because of adverse weather, there are half of the total supplies of eggs available in the markets now.
“Besides, increasing cost of meat and fish has created an extra demand for eggs which is another reason for the price hike.”
Another wholesaler Iman Ali said: “The production of eggs have also decreased, as chickens fell sick or laid fewer eggs. “
However, egg traders also claimed that the hot and humid weather were another reason for which eggs were rotting and to make the cost balance they had to sell eggs at a higher price.
Syed Abu Siddiqui, president of Bangladesh Poultry Industries Association, said: “Because of the flood, many poultry farms have been damaged.
“Chicks production have decreased and overall poultry production cost has gone up as feed prices also went up. “
He further said: “Due to the high cost of production, farm owners were unable to cope up with the demands in the market.”
“Until the situation becomes normal, egg prices will remain unchanged in the markets,” he added.