Sri Lanka's minister of agriculture, Mahinda Amaraweera, has directed the Department of Animal Production and Health to grant permission for the sale of imported eggs in the retail market. Normally, eggs can only be imported for use in the bakery industry, the government-issued press release said. 

The decision was made to address a shortage of eggs in the market. 

In order to eliminate the shortage of eggs, manufacturers have requested the removal of regulations stipulating the maximum retail price for eggs. They have also requested the shortage of maize used for feed be addressed, and asked for a removal of the ban on the use of rice for animal feed. 

The egg and poultry producers have said that after the removal of the maximum retail price for eggs, eggs will be made available all over the country within 15 days, otherwise they will agree with whatever decision taken by the government.

After considering the requests, the Minister said the cabinet of Ministers will be notified to remove the maximum retail price for eggs and steps will be taken to remove the current ban on using rice for animal feed. The minister also informed that the imported eggs, which are currently used only for bakery products, will be allowed to be sold in the retail market. Importation will continue, he said, until the egg and poultry producers have had a chance to secure the domestic marketplace. 

In this discussion, it was emphasized to remove the guidelines imposed by the Department of Animal Production and Health for the sale of imported eggs in the retail market and give the opportunity to sell those eggs in the retail market and to allow the private sector to import parent birds for the poultry industry. It was also emphasised that the overall responsibility for the improvement of the egg and poultry industry should be fulfilled by the Department of Animal Production and Health.
Amaraweera said that if those in the egg industry do not extend their support for the measures taken by the government to boost the egg and poultry production, the industry will collapse completely this year.