The government is taking steps to reduce production costs in the poultry sector to ensure poultry products are available to consumers at fair prices, State Minister for Livestock and Fisheries Sultan Salauddin Tuku said on Thursday.

He made the remarks at a view-exchange meeting held at the PTI Bhaban in the Rajbari area of Gazipur city.

The state minister said the government is working to reduce the costs of feed and other inputs so that farmers can produce poultry at lower costs. “If production costs can be reduced, both farmers and consumers will benefit,” he said.

Representatives of the poultry industry and agro-farms from different upazilas of Gazipur attended the meeting and highlighted the current challenges facing the sector and the reasons behind rising production costs.

The farmers and industry entrepreneurs demanded lower feed prices, affordable chick prices and reduced costs of other inputs to cut production expenses in the poultry sector.

They also sought effective government support to make the poultry sector sustainable and profitable.

In response, the state minister said production costs must be reduced to ensure safe and affordable poultry products for the people.

Gazipur Deputy Commissioner Md Nurul Karim Bhuiyan, Superintendent of Police Mohammed Jhasim Uddin, senior officials of the Department of Livestock Services, officials of various government agencies, poultry industry representatives and farmers were present at the meeting.