Govt permits import of 18.8cr eggs

The government has permitted the import of 18.80 crore eggs through 42 designated firms to boost supply of the key source of protein in the local market and help contain rising prices.

The Ministry of Commerce gave the permission yesterday, according to a ministry notification.

This import permission will expire on January 31, it also mentioned. Yesterday, two pairs of brown eggs were sold for Tk 48 to Tk 50 in Dhaka, Trading Corporation of Bangladesh data shows.

A year ago, the same cost Tk 42 to Tk 45, meaning that the price has increased by 12.64 percent over the past year.

Bangladesh has a daily demand for five crore eggs, which mostly come from Western regions such as Tangail, Jashore, Thakurgaon, Pabna, Panchagarh and Rajshahi, as well as adjoining areas like Narsingdi and Gazipur.

The low and middle-income earners in the country have been bearing the brunt of persistent inflation for over two years, with overall inflation hovering above 9 percent since March 2023.

In October this year, inflation hit a three-month high of 10.87 percent, driven by soaring food prices, particularly for rice and vegetables, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.