Bangladesh Poultry Industry Reels from Rising Feed Costs

Rising feed ingredient costs are causing distress for Bangladesh's poultry industry.

The prices of crucial feed ingredients, including corn, de-oiled rice bran (DORB), rice bran, and soybean meal, have surged sharply over the last month. This sharp increase in raw material costs is making it difficult for farmers to absorb production costs, threatening their livelihoods and the nation's protein supply.

A poultry retailer at Central Road in Dhaka said: 'I sold broiler chicken at Tk200 per kg on Wednesday, but with feed prices continuing to rise, wholesale costs will inevitably force us to raise prices further in the coming days.'

The industry is facing a perfect storm of global commodity inflation, shipping costs, foreign exchange fluctuations, and geopolitical constraints. The Bangladesh Poultry Industries Central Council (BPICC) has proposed recommendations to address the crisis, including imposing a temporary ban on the export of DORB and rice bran to ensure full domestic supply for local feed mills.