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Tight supply has seen egg prices surge by up to 40 per cent, to ₹7-7.50 apiece, in retail markets across the country, Poultry Federation of India President Ramesh Katri said on Monday.
The upward trend would continue in the coming months as egg production is likely to be 25-30 per cent lower this year, he said.
Output decline
“Egg prices have increased significantly as many poultry farms have reduced production for the current year because they did not get better rates last year,” Katri said.
In 2016-17, egg prices at the farm-gate level (wholesale) ruled below ₹4 per piece in view of higher domestic output, while the cost of production stood at ₹3.50, he said.
Due to the losses last year, apprehensions of lower rates, and fear of animal welfare activists, many have cut down production, and some have shut their poultry farms, he explained.
Eggs in Delhi’s retail markets had a going rate of ₹7-7.50 per piece, up from ₹4-5 last year, according to trade data. A similar situation prevails in other cities.
Egg production stood at around 83 billion in 2015-16 and remained higher in 2016-17 as well, government data showed.
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