The current farm gate price of eggs climbed to Rs 1.90 per unit while the same has been sold at Rs 2.30 in the retail market, an all-time high price.

Generally, the egg prices used to come down during summer season, but this time it has gone up, trade sources said.

Poultry farms failing to replace layer chicks in appropriate time, pressure due to sudden export orders and abnormal prices of poultry feeds are few reasons that pushed up the egg prices, said Singaraj, president of All India Poultry Products Exporters Association. The poultry farms across the country maintain 20-21 crore layer birds, which lay around 15 crore eggs every day.

Generally, old layer birds, which lay eggs for around 72 weeks, are replaced by new birds.

But due to crash in egg prices during the birdflu outbreak in India between February and August 2006, farmers have not replaced around 30-35% of the birds in the country while the old birds were sent for culling.

Currently, the Indian poultry farms have only around 15 crore birds, which lay around 11-12 crore eggs, leading to shortage of 3-4 crore eggs a day.

Source: The Financial Express