Traders stop selling eggs at Tejgaon wholesale market

The supply of farm eggs in the market is facing a problem amid the high price of the daily essential commodity. The wholesalers of Dhaka’s Tejgaon, one of the largest wholesale egg markets in the country, have stopped selling eggs.

No truck arrived at the market on Sunday night either while the wholesalers sold a small amount of eggs the previous night.

The wholesalers from Tejgaon said they stopped selling eggs as they are buying eggs at a price higher than the rate the government has fixed but are not able to sell at a rate based on the procurement rate.

The Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) is also conducting raids regularly to ensure selling of eggs at the rate the government has fixed. That is why they have stopped selling the egg fearing a fine.

The brown farm egg was being sold at Tk 180 a dozen at several retail markets in the city while the price was Tk 170 for white eggs.

The sellers said the supply was relatively small. Alongside the eggs, the price of farm chicken is also high, with ‘sonali’ variety Tk 280-290 a kg and broiler Tk 190-200 a kg. Besides, the hybrid ‘sonali’ variety of chicken was being sold at Tk 260-270 a kg on Monday.

A visit to Karwan Bazar Monday noon showed no one selling brown farm eggs. Only one shop had a few red and two dozen white eggs. The seller Fazlul Haque asked for Tk 170-180 per dozen.

He told Prothom Alo, “The farm eggs are from yesterday. That too was brought from Kathalbagan market. I could not buy any eggs from the Tejgaon wholesale market. The selling of eggs there stopped last night and the supply was very little on Saturday night.”

The Department of Agricultural Marketing on 16 September fixed the price of farm eggs and broiler and sonali varieties of chicken.

The price of an egg was fixed at Tk 10.58 at the producer level, Tk 11.1 at the wholesale level and Tk 11.87 at the retail level. As per the rate, a dozen eggs was supposed to cost Tk 142 at the retail level but the price actually is Tk 170-180. Such a high price has been going on for a few days.

The Department of Agricultural Marketing said they fixed the “reasonable” price of eggs after talking to producers, wholesalers and other relevant stakeholders.

The Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection has been conducting raids regularly to ensure the commodity is being sold at the rate the government has fixed. It has fined shops for violating the order as well. That is why the Tejgaon traders have stopped selling eggs.

Speaking about this, Tejgaon Egg Traders Association president Mohammad Amanat Ullah said they are buying eggs at a higher price from the farmers than the rate fixed by the government at the retail level. That is why they are selling at a higher price.

He said they sold an egg at Tk 12.5 at the wholesale level last night which was bought at Tk 12-12.2.

Amanat Ullah further said the demand of eggs in Dhaka is 10 million a day while the number of eggs brought to Tejgaon market is 1.4-1.5 million. Many are selling at a higher price outside of Tejgaon but only they are being blamed for the high price, and raids are being conducted. “That is why we have stopped selling eggs.”

“There could be fines and punishment if the government rule is not followed. That is why we have been looking for ways suspending the sale for the time being. We went to the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection but could not talk to the officials as they were in a meeting. We will go there again in the afternoon.”

Meanwhile, several retailers who buy eggs from Tejgaon regularly informed Prothom Alo that the vehicles carrying eggs are being taken away to other areas of the city other than Tejgaon.

The retailers bought eggs from a few such spots early today.

No one from the Tejgaon Egg Traders Association, however, spoke about this.

* The report has been rewritten in English by Shameem Reza