Inability to sell beef at government prices, meat shops closed

Brahmanbaria representative: Meat sellers have expressed their inability to sell beef at the government-fixed price of 664 taka 39 paisa per kg in Brahmanbaria. Butchers have closed all meat shops in the city. Meat traders said they will stop selling meat until the price of meat is reconsidered.

Meat traders have stopped selling beef in at least half a hundred shops in the district city, including Anand Bazar, Faruqi Bazar, Medda Bazar, Maurailer Bau Bazar, Kautli Bazar since morning. In this situation, the buyers come to the market and are in trouble for not getting meat. Meat traders said that the sale of meat will be stopped until the price of meat is reconsidered.

After visiting the market on the ground and talking to the traders, it is known that leaflets were distributed to meat shops on Monday morning by the Directorate of Agriculture and Marketing. In the leaflet, beef traders are instructed to sell beef at the rate of 664 taka 39 paise per kg.

Traders said that they have to buy beef with leather at a price of 720 taka per kg from farms or traders. At the retail level, traders sell meat at a rate of Rs 750 per kg. Since it is not possible to sell meat at a low price, the traders keep the meat shops in the district town closed since morning.

Meat traders Md. Zakir Hossain and Shamim said, we sell meat thinking about people's needs and purchasing power. The market rate that the government has given us is 664 taka 39 paise. Selling meat at this rate will result in loss of business. So we stopped selling beef. Our meat sales operations will remain closed until further instructions.

Businessman Sentu Mia said, we cannot do business at a loss. If we sell beef at the price fixed by the government, we will incur losses. Business is not possible with losses. So we stopped selling meat from morning.

In this regard, Farooq Ahmed, Joint General Secretary of Brahmanbaria District Meat Traders Association said, Brahmanbaria traders buy cows from farmers and traders, they buy cows with skin and slaughter them in the market. It costs Rs 720 per kg. In this situation, the government has fixed 664 taka 39 paisa. It will not apply to our Brahmanbaria market. Of course the price must be adjusted. Because the price of cows in the farm should be reduced. Price to be re-determined. Otherwise we have no choice but to close this meat market.

Md. Shafiq, a buyer who came to Farooqui market in the city, said that he came to the market to buy beef from home and saw that all the meat shops were closed. Not being able to buy beef, I am going home with chicken from the farm. We did not expect this in the month of Ramadan. Hope the traders will solve their problems soon and open the shops again.

Meanwhile, during the distribution of market price leaflets in the city's Farooqui market, Md. Palash Mandal, an employee of the Directorate of Agricultural Marketing, said that the leaflets are being distributed in the market under the instructions of the director general's office. I don't know more than that.

On Tuesday (March 19) the meat traders will submit a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner. They are hopeful that this issue will be resolved through fruitful discussions.