Egg Prices Boil as Consumption Jumps
TAMIL NADU, INDIA - The cold wave in the North and intensification of cyclone Thane in the South have put poultry prices on the boil as egg consumption leaps up.The National Egg Coordination Committee (NECC), Namakkal zone, has hiked the price of egg to Rs 3.20 a piece from last week's Rs 3.13.
Mr P. Selvaraj, Zonal Chairman of the NECC, Tamil Nadu, told Business Line that the prevailing cold wave in North India is the main reason for the price hike as the seasonal market attracted an average 25 lakh eggs a day of Namakkal's average daily production of 2.75 crore eggs. Consumption of eggs usually goes up in winter. Besides, Christmas and New Year holidays have also boosted the consumption of poultry products.
But prices are still at their lowest in the South: at Rs 3.27 in Chennai, at Rs 3.20 in Bangalore, at Rs 3.20 in Mysore and at Rs 3.12 in Hyderabad; compared to Rs 3.39 in Mumbai, Rs 3.60 in Kolkata and Rs 3.40 in Delhi.
Industry sources said there is a consistent demand for eggs as rains have hurt supplies of vegetables. Eggs are gaining since it is seen as the only balanced diet at a lower price. Going by the Met Department's prediction that the cold wave could extend for few more days, the industry foresees lesser possibilities of a drop in price.
Meanwhile, NECC has slashed the price for layer birds to Rs 41 a kg (Rs 43) while the Broiler Coordination Committee's rate for cull birds is down Rs 8 a kg to Rs 42 a kg.