People related to the fish and poultry feed sector fear that the mandatory jute packaging for fish and poultry feed will cause an annual waste of around Tk2,500 crore.
The Mandatory Jute Packaging Act was passed in 2010. The law made it mandatory to pack food grains in jute sacks.
In 2013, rules were published under this act that made jute packaging mandatory for several other products, including fish feed and poultry feed. To enforce these rules, mobile courts have been inspecting feed mills and imposing fines, according to a press release.
\Nazrul Islam, general manager responsible for nutrition and quality control at Kazi Farms Group said: “The PP woven sacks, that are used at present cost Tk36 each. If jute sacks are used, each sack will cost Tk118. So the cost of each sack will triple.”
“This will have an impact on marginal farmers. They will make losses. As a result, consumers will have to buy chicken, eggs and fish at higher prices. The production cost of chicken will probably increase by Tk5-10 per kg,” he added.
Professor of Poultry Science at Bangladesh Agricultural University Dr Elias Hossain said: “Poultry feed is made with maize, soybean, salt, oil and other ingredients. It can absorb moisture from the air, which causes fungus to grow, producing poisons called mycotoxins in the feed. If chickens or fish consume feed packed in jute sacks, their growth rate will be reduced. In many cases, the animals might die.”
Poultry expert Akhtaruzzaman said: “Control of moisture in fish and poultry feed is very important. It must be maintained at between 10% and 12%. Feed is stored for up to 60 days at shops and on farms.”
He said: “In a trial, it has been seen that fish or poultry feed goes bad after just 10 days if stored in a jute sack.” Akhtaruzzaman thinks that it is impossible for feed manufacturers to use normal jute sacks.
The poultry industry is an important and growing industry. Over Tk30,000 crore has been invested in this industry, which contributes about 1.44% of our GDP.
On the other hand, the jute industry contributes only about 0.26% of our GDP. Poultry industry experts argue that harming the poultry and fish industry to benefit the jute industry does not make sense. They said this policy is a threat to the poultry industry.
General Manager at Kazi Farms Nazrul Islam also said: “Each jute sack costs Tk82 more than a woven PP sack. If the feed industry uses jute sacks, it will require 30 crore jute sacks every year, which will cost an additional Tk2,460 Taka every year. If jute sacks are used, the additional expense will be passed on to farmers. So consumers will ultimately have to buy chicken, eggs and fish at a higher price.”
Ahsanuzzaman, general secretary of the Feed Industries Association Bangladesh (FIAB) said: “30 crore sacks are required every year. If the government’s policy is implemented, at this moment there is no way the private jute mills can produce this quantity of jute sacks.”
Poultry industry experts say that the packaging problem should be solved without increasing the costs of the poultry industry so that it can continue to grow. They suggest research to develop lower-cost bio-degradable packaging options.
Experts have urged the government to reconsider this decision. Jute packaging should not be mandatory for poultry and fish feed.
