Editorial, News & commercial office:
55/A, H M Siddique Mansion (Level-7), Purana Paltan, Motijhel C/A, Dhaka-1000. Phone: +8802226640056,
e-mail: [email protected], [email protected]
Surging global prices of essential raw materials—rising between 9% and 40%—have plunged Bangladesh's poultry feed manufacturing sector into severe strain, as retail feed prices have adjusted upward by only around 7%. This widening disparity has squeezed profit margins across the sector, even as poultry farmers raise concerns that any price hike directly escalates the production costs of eggs and broiler meat.
Feed millers point out that fierce market competition makes unilateral price revisions difficult due to the risk of losing market share. By late September 2026, domestic corn prices surged 24% to Tk 38.80 per kg from Tk 31.30, while soybean meal rose roughly 14% to Tk 66 per kg from Tk 58. Minor ingredients followed suit: de-oiled rice bran climbed from Tk 26 to Tk 33, standard rice bran reached Tk 39 from Tk 33, and mustard oil cake rose to Tk 39.70 from Tk 36.50. During the same window, retail poultry feed increased by just Tk 4.50 per kg—from Tk 68 to Tk 72.50.
Sector stakeholders, who rely on imports for approximately 65% of raw feed components, are urging the government to lower import tariffs to alleviate the cost burden. Mosharraf Hossain Chowdhury, President of the Bangladesh Poultry Industries Association (BPIA) and Managing Director of Asta Feed Mill, noted that international soybean meal soared to $530 per ton in August, while global freight shipping rates spiked in tandem. Ehtesham B Shahjahan, Managing Director of Quality Feeds Limited, highlighted that the sector's corporate income tax was raised from 15% to 27.5% in the FY2025–26 national budget, further eroding net returns.
Around 150 commercial feed mills across Bangladesh currently produce roughly 7.5 million tons of animal feed annually, with the poultry sector consuming approximately 70% of the total output. Research from Bangladesh Agricultural University projects total animal feed demand to hit 10 million tons by 2030, with poultry accounting for 65%. Industry leaders argue that without targeted tax adjustments, lower import expenses, and policy support to steady input costs, the escalating cost of production could disrupt the long-term sustainability of the country's poultry and livestock supply chain.
