FROM PAGE B4

“We have reduced production due to low profits. I laid off a lot of employees. At this time last year, 1,700 people worked on my farm. About 70 percent of the staff has been laid off,” he said.

Experts say each person in Bangladesh consumes 136 eggs every year whereas the number goes as high as 400 in developed countries.

Moreover, the per capita consumption of chicken meat is just one-third of that in developed countries, they said.

Low per capita income is responsible for protein or nutrition deficiencies and a lack of awareness plays a big role here, said Faridul Alam, vice-chancellor of the Bangladesh University of Health Sciences.

Now, 60 percent of the country’s people want to eat at least one egg every day but market supply is not attuned to it, for which sellers can increase the price if they wish, he said.

Again, many people’s income is not consistent with expenditure needs, for which they eat less protein and also why they are malnourished. Due to this, their mental, intellectual and working efficiency is low, he added. That is why production needs to be increased and then the price will come down, he said.