The onset of monsoon has brought cheer to the poultry industry that had faced a temporary lull during summer.

Demand for poultry products is on the rise. Hence, the Namakkal-based National Egg Coordination Committee (NECC) has decided to hike egg prices by seven paise to Rs 2.64 a piece this week. Last week, egg prices rose 6 per cent to Rs 2.54.

Egg prices touched a record Rs 3.02 in January, while broiler prices skyrocketed to Rs 75/kg during March-April as surging vegetable prices brought in more demand for poultry products.

Industry sources attribute the rise in prices to demand on home turf, pricey fish in neighbouring Kerala (due to the 45-day fishing ban imposed by the State that is to last till July) and reopening of schools in Tamil Nadu — a major consumer of eggs under the noon-meal scheme.

Interestingly, the rise in prices is despite an increase in production this time around. Statistics show that during May last year, the production was at 265.5 lakh eggs while this May it is at 277.92 lakh eggs.

On the export front, the much-awaited ferry service between Tuticorin and Colombo is expected to provide a shot in the arm to the industry, whose export basket almost dried up and is now looking at Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, prices of layer birds ruled flat while that of cull birds dropped. NECC has maintained the rates of layer birds at Rs 44/kg while the Broiler Coordination Committee has trimmed the price to Rs 60/kg (Rs 62/kg).

Namakkal's poultry industry is planning to scale up its layer birds capacity to meet increasing demand. The strength of layer birds in the Namakkal Zone, as on March, stood at 45.9 million, and the industry hopes to add another 4 million layer birds to this.

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