Domestic egg price nearly double international price

Rashed Hossain

There is a big difference between the egg price of different countries in the world market and the country market. Compared to Bangladesh, eggs are being sold at much lower prices in India, China and other countries.

The price of eggs in the domestic market is almost double that of the international market. Although the country is self-sufficient in egg production. This information is known from the sources of Egret Dotin and the Ministry of Commerce of China.

India and China are the two most populous countries in the world. The population of each of these two countries is more than 140 crore. Eggs are available at lower prices in both countries than in Bangladesh. India even exports millions of eggs to different countries.

According to Eggert, the average egg price in India was Rs 4.50 per piece. According to Bangladesh Bank's website, that equates to an average of 5.97 taka (1 rupee as 1.32 taka). Apart from this, it is selling at Rs 5.9 in Kolkata which is equal to Rs 7.78 in taka. 5.51 rupees in Delhi which is equal to 7.27 taka. 5.55 rupees in Ahmedabad which is equal to 7.32 taka. In Mumbai, eggs are being sold at Rs 5.65 per piece which is equivalent to Tk 7.45.

According to recent data from the National Agricultural Products Business Information Public Service Platform of China's Ministry of Commerce, eggs are sold in kilograms in China. If we calculate 50 grams per egg on average, 20 eggs are available in 1 kg. In Beijing, China, eggs are sold for 10.9 yuan per kg.

According to the website of Bangladesh Bank which is 164.78 taka (15.11 taka per 1 yuan). That is, the average price of each piece of egg is 8.23 taka.

According to Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) prices, 4 eggs are being sold at Tk 50.Each piece of egg is being sold at Tk 12 and a half. Brown eggs are being sold wholesale for Tk 1,110 to Tk 1,200. That is, the price of each wholesale egg is 11 taka 10 paisa.

On September 14, the government fixed the price for the first time after increasing the price of eggs. Even after 15 days of determination, the price of eggs in the market has not been implemented.

The traders said that the total demand of all kinds of eggs in Bangladesh is 4.5 million pieces per day. And the production is like 5 crores. That is, the production of eggs in the country did not suddenly decrease, that the price will increase so much. However, the price of poultry feed has increased. Even so, an egg at the retail level is not supposed to cost more than 12 taka now.

(The report was published in Bengali on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on October 01 and rewritten in English by Tanvir Raihan)