“The market demand for chicks soars, as those, now being purchased, will be sold as broiler chicken just before Eid, a period that usually witnesses a high price,” said Kazi Zahin Hasan, director of Kazi Farms, a leading poultry breeder.

The Daily Star reports that operators have linked the high price to the gap between demand and supply, resulting from the closure of a number of hatcheries and farms on the outbreak of bird flu disease early 2007.

The price of a day-old broiler chick, which was about BDT35 each at the end of July this year, started rising early this month amid farmers' move to resume farming at an increased rate.

During the January-March period, the price of broiler chick was between BDT15-20, industry sources said.

The price of a day-old broiler chick now stands at over BDT40, according to operators.

“Now the weekly demand for day-old chicks would be as high as 50 lakh [5 million], compared with the overall industry supply of about 42 lakh [4.2 million],” said Shah Habibul Haque, director of Aftab Bahumukhi Farms.

Mr Haque, however, sees the high price 'temporary.' “I hope, it will decline after a week,” he said, referring to the relatively low demand after Eid.