The Hindu Business Line : Broiler, egg rates lowered

BROILER producers and shell egg trade in Tamil Nadu have pruned farm-gate prices of their produce in anticipation of the approaching Tamil austere month of Purattassi (starting September 15) when the consumption of poultry products will touch the nadir.

To save the chicken farms and the trade from possible accumulation of stocks, major producers under the banner of the State Broiler Coordination Committee have this week chosen to bring down the wholesale price of live-birds to Rs 25 per kg from Rs 27 last week.

In the case of shell eggs, the Namakkal-based National Egg Coordination Committee's zonal panel has cut the wholesale rate by 10 paise to Rs 1.30 per egg. Though informed sources in the egg trade said the price cut was to encourage movement of table egg consignments that got stuck in the wake of the recent truckers' strike, reduction in the selling price is also partly to pep up the egg consumption. The previous week's peak rate of Rs 1.40 was feared to create market resistance at a time when the religious occasions are to be widely observed in the Southern consumption centres and egg consumption is to be desisted during the period.

The actual transaction is said to be taking place at a discount of Rs 2 to the fixed prices of Rs 25 a kg.