The poultry industry can look forward to better times now with exports looking up and appreciation in the farm-gate price of egg. The industry that had a roller-coaster ride last year is set to reap fortunes this year.

Mr P Selvaraj, Chairman, National Egg Coordination Committee (Namakkal zone), told Business Line , “Exports have started looking up. We are now shipping considerable containers of eggs to Afghanistan,” although he declined to specify the quantity. On the domestic front too, egg prices are on the rise owing to a cut in production, a usual phenomenon during summer.

Prices that touched a record Rs 3.20 a piece in December 26 last year (and maintained till January 7) were on the downside, but not for too long. Egg prices perked up again towards January-end and have seen a constant rise and are slowly inching up towards the Rs 3- mark. On February 1, egg prices were ruling at Rs 2.47 a piece and yesterday it was Rs 2.80. The NECC has decided to hike the price by another 4 paise to Rs 2.84.

Mr Selvaraj attributed the price rise to good domestic offtake coupled with a cut in output. “Now that the austere seasons are over, the demand for poultry products has risen. Average daily production of eggs fell by 15 lakh a day. Namakkal produced around 3.07 crore eggs in January this year.”

The cold wave in North India was the main reason for prices to touch a record during the fag end of last year. The seasonal market attracted an average 25-35 lakh eggs a day of Namakkal's average daily production.

Meanwhile, price of layer birds is also witnessing a slow and steady rise with the NECC increasing the rate by Rs 2/kg to Rs 35 while the Broiler Coordination Committee's rates for cull birds is down by Rs 9 a kg to Rs 46.

gayathri.gururajan @thehindu.co.in

comment COMMENT NOW