Egg prices cut to avoid stockpiling

After ruling flat for almost a week at Rs 3.02 a piece, the price of wholesale egg has been slashed by 10 paise to Rs 2.92. This is help poultry farms from possible accumulation of stocks.

Sources attributed the cut in price to the holiday season when there was no truck movement to other States and slack consumption in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka – major markets for TN's shell egg trade – on account of Makara Sankaranti. Added to this is the cut in supply to the noon meal scheme due to the Pongal holidays. The trade supplies 70 lakh eggs to the noon meal scheme every day.

Mr R Nallathambi, President, Tamil Nadu Poultry Farmers' Association, said: “We don't see a further cut in prices and if at all it (slashing down the rates) happens, it won't be more than another 10 paise.”

The National Egg Co-ordination Committee has maintained the rates for layer birds at Rs 31/kg (Rs 32/kg), while the Palladam-based Broiler Coordination Committee has fixed the prices of live chicken at Rs 48/kg from last week's Rs 46. Namakkal and Palladam are the benchmarks for poultry prices in the country.