According to The Daily Star, District Livestock Officer (DLO) Md Hafizur Rahman said there are 2,000 poultry farms in six upazilas of the district, of which 400 are layer poultry farms. Taking training from Youth Training Centre in the district, the youths have set up poultry farms in many places of the district, he added.

Poultry farmers can profit around Tk 10,000 by rearing 500 poultry chicken for 30 to 40 days, but they are incurring loss now due to increasing prices of chickens, feed and medicines, he added.

Tajul Islam, a poultry farmer of Asannagar village under Kotchandpur upazila, said he started a poultry farm in 2000 and got good profit, adding that he sells poultry feed and chickens and also rears poultry. Nowadays, his trade is dull in comparison with previous years and he is incurring losses due to increasing prices of chickens, feed and medicines, Mr Islam said.

He said the price of broiler chicken has come down alarmingly and it is being sold at Tk 80 to Tk 90 per kg while the rearing cost is Tk 180 to Tk 190 per chicken weighing around 2.00 kg.

Poultry farmer Shanti Biswa said the price of poultry feed has risen up to Tk 30 from Tk 20, oil cake up to Tk 32 from Tk 14 and medicines up to Tk 120 from Tk 60 in the last six months. On the other hand, the price of poultry has not increased, he added.

Amir Hossain of the upazila said he purchased 2,000 poultry chickens this year and has incurred huge loss due to increasing prices of poultry rearing items. Besides, local banks are not offering loans on easy instalments, he added.

Poultry feed trader Md Aynuddin said selling poultry feed is profitable but the government does not take care of it. Chicken-producing hatchery Kazi Farm and feed-producing Naurish Farm are doing monopoly business, he added.

He said he has been sustaining losses for over four months.

DLO Md Hafizur Rahman said poultry feed traders are trying to exploit poultry farmers by charging high prices for their products.