The Hindu Business Line reports that the Namakkal-based National Egg Coordination Committee (NECC) increased the price of an egg by 16 paise to Rs 2.68.

Broiler prices, too, are inching up towards the record Rs 75-a-kg mark seen in April 2011. Prices of cull birds are ruling at Rs 70/kg, owing to the demand for animal protein during summer.

From March-end till the middle of last month, the NECC has been trimming prices to lift consumption and normalise an overflowing stock resulting from a ban imposed by Oman on Indian poultry products and non-supply of eggs to the noon-meal scheme (that procures around 70 lakh eggs) owing to vacation.

P. Selvaraj, Chairman of the NECC's Namakkal zone, told Business Line that spiralling cost of soyameal - a key ingredient in poultry feed is one of the reasons. Soyameal at Indore ruled at Rs 28,700-29,000 a tonne on Thursday against Rs 25,000 last month. Feed costs account for two-thirds of cost of production in a poultry unit. However, he said that the price rise will be a gradual one and demand is yet to pick up fully as schools are on vacation mode.Prices of layer birds too have increased and are were quoted at Rs 50/kg (Rs 35).