Thousands of poultry farmers in southeastern Bangladesh have suspended operations after day-old broiler chick prices had doubled ahead of Ramadan, compounding losses from last year’s floods, according to Mirsharai Poultry Association.

The association said the price of a broiler chick has climbed to BDT 80-85 in Mirsharai upazila from BDT 40-45 a year earlier. About half of the area’s estimated 10,000 farms have shut, it added.

“I have been in the poultry business since 2006. I had 18 farms before the floods. I still haven’t recovered from that loss,” said Jahed Hossain Bappi, general secretary of the association. “Last Ramadan, a day-old chick cost BDT 40-45. This year, the same chick is selling for BDT 80-85.”

The surge comes despite a government ceiling of BDT 69 per chick, which farmers say is widely flouted. They accused several companies of forming a syndicate to drive up prices.

The 2024 floods caused an estimated BDT 100 million in losses to Mirsarai’s poultry sector, the association said, with many farmers yet to recover. While some marginal dairy farmers received limited feed assistance, poultry farmers received none. Many were subsequently forced to close operations.

Zakirul Farid, the upazila livestock officer, acknowledged the situation. He said, “Day-old broiler chicks are selling for BDT 80-85. Farmers are incurring losses. The matter will be reported to higher authorities.”

At current prices, raising a bird to one kilogram costs about BDT 170, farmers said, risking losses if market rates for live chickens fall.