Bangladesh News

Demand for fish, beef and mutton has shot up in the past week as consumers panicked by the spread of bird flu across the country are looking for alternatives to poultry and eggs.

The rising demands have apparently driven the prices of fish, beef and mutton upward, said retailers and restaurant owners.

“People are panicked. Many are including vegetables, beef and mutton in their meals in place of chicken and eggs,” said Khandker Ruhul Amin, president of Bangladesh Hotel & Restaurant Owners’ Association.

“Our suppliers are charging higher prices for beef and mutton due to the increase in demand,” he said adding that suppliers are now charging an additional Tk 20 for each kilogram of beef or mutton.

The price of fish has also gone up, said Ruhul, also owner of Khandker Restaurant, adding that the overall sale of chicken at restaurants has fallen by over 50 percent.

However, people should not be panicked as much because no germ can survive in poultry or eggs when these are cooked or boiled properly — as recommended by the government, he said.

For the last one month, Nadira Sultana Nadi, who works at an overseas education consultancy firm, did not place any chicken or egg on her family’s dining table.

“We are eating fish and beef quite frequently now instead of chicken or egg. None of family members want to eat chicken now,” she said.

Kamrul, a Hilsha retailer at Karwan Bazar, said the demand for fish has increased since early this month and the trend still continues. “The sales volume is higher over last month,” he said

On an average, the price of a single Hilsha rose by about Tk 25, Kamrul said.

Emdad Hossain, a seller of imported Ruhi fish that is consumed widely, said the price of Ruhi has also gone up.

“The wholesalers have raised the prices. That’s why we are charging higher prices,” he added.

Abu Siddique, a butcher at Karwan Bazar, said on an average, he now sells around Tk 10,000 worth of mutton per day — compared with Tk 7,000 a day earlier.

“My sales have gone up due to the higher demands resulted from the outbreak of bird flu. But the wholesalers are the ones cashing in on the rising demands by charging higher prices,” he added.