Egg and broiler prices are slowly rising towards the record levels, thanks to higher input costs and a pick-up in consumption.
The Namakkal-based National Egg Coordination Committee (NECC) increased the price of an egg by 16 paise to Rs 2.68 on Thursday.
Broiler prices, too, are inching up towards the record Rs 75-a-kg mark seen in April 2011. Prices of cull birds are ruling at Rs 70/kg, owing to the demand for animal protein during summer.
From March-end till the middle of last month, the NECC has been trimming prices to lift consumption and normalise an overflowing stock resulting from a ban imposed by Oman on Indian poultry products and non-supply of eggs to the noon-meal scheme (that procures around 70 lakh eggs) owing to vacation.
Mr P. Selvaraj, Chairman of the NECC's Namakkal zone, told Business Line that spiralling cost of soyameal - a key ingredient in poultry feed is one of the reasons. Soyameal at Indore ruled at Rs 28,700-29,000 a tonne on Thursday against Rs 25,000 last month. Feed costs account for two-thirds of cost of production in a poultry unit. However, he said that the price rise will be a gradual one and demand is yet to pick up fully as schools are on vacation mode.Prices of layer birds too have increased and are were quoted at Rs 50/kg (Rs 35).