Eggs to be imported if required: commerce minister

The government would import eggs if the price of the low-cost source of protein keeps an upward trend, said Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi.

"If needed, the import of eggs will be allowed in coordination with the fisheries and livestock ministry," he said.

He was talking to reporters today after inaugurating the sales of products, including rice, among one crore family card-holders belonging to low-income groups under an initiative of the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB).

The state-run agency organised the event at Mohammadpur Town Hall in Dhaka.

If the fisheries and livestock ministry fixes the retail prices of egg, the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) would carry out drives to rein in the prices, Tipu Munshi said.

The DNCRP has already started conducting raids at various warehouses in the capital and is imposing fines.

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The minister said the commerce ministry can't import eggs if it wants. "In order to do so, import permission of the fisheries and livestock ministry will be required. There is no opportunity to import eggs without their cooperation."

He said initiatives will be taken to import eggs immediately after getting the green signal from the fisheries and livestock ministry.

The minister's comments came at a time when, in an unprecedented event, in Bangladesh, the price of a dozen farmed brown eggs matched that of one kilogramme of broiler chicken.

Retailers sold one kg of broiler chicken at a maximum price of Tk 180 at various kitchen markets in Dhaka yesterday. In a coincidence, the highest price for 12 pieces of brown eggs was exactly the same, according to the TCB.