Consumers in Bangladesh who are already struggling to make ends meet following the recent rise in prices of various daily essentials are now being compelled to spend more on eggs and broiler chicken meat, the low-cost sources of protein.

In Dhaka, retailers are selling the farm egg (red) at as high as Tk 120 per dozen as prices shot up over the last one week.

On average, a consumer has to pay 4 per cent higher to buy eggs now from a week earlier, data from the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) showed.

According to the TCB, the prices of every four-piece of eggs were Tk 36-Tk 40 yesterday from Tk 35-Tk 38 a week ago in Dhaka city.

Egg producers blamed increased production costs for the increase, as they have to pay higher to buy feed ingredients, chiefly soybean meal and corn. Increased transport cost is another reason for the price spike of the protein item.

In addition, prices of broiler chicken meat, the cheapest meat in the country, also soared at a time when consumers have been paying higher for edible oil, sugar and lentil.

Pradip Kumar, a wholesaler at Karwan Bazar, said prices of eggs increased despite adequate supply.

Wholesalers are selling the farm egg (red) at Tk 108 a dozen, up 12.5 per cent from Tk 96 earlier.

Al Amin, a supervisor at a construction site in Uttara, says his six-member family has become dependent on eggs for protein after broiler chicken, meats and pulses have gone beyond their reach.

"If the price of eggs continues to rise, no option will be left for my family to meet the requirement of protein."

Taher Ahmed Siddique, president of the Bangladesh Egg Producer Association, said the prices of eggs increased due to the recent price hike of poultry feeds and transport costs.

He said the price of soybean meal has increased by 19 per cent to Tk 38 per kg while the price of corn has gone up by 84 per cent to Tk 35 in the last one and a half months.

So, the production cost of an egg has gone up to Tk 7 from Tk 6, he said.

"The upward trend of the price of eggs may continue until the fresh corn is harvested in the country," Siddique said.

He also said the current supply of eggs is not sufficient against the demand as farmers have cut production due to the additional costs.

According to producers, about 3.5 crore to 4 crore pieces of eggs are required to meet the daily demand in the country.

Ghulam Rahman, chairman of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh, said there is inflationary pressure in the country at the moment and its effects are slowly spreading to all sectors.

"As a result, alongside the production cost, farmers' living cost has increased. So, they have increased the price of their products to cover this extra cost." "In such a situation, the overall condition of the fixed-income group will worsen further."