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Seasonal uncertainties and slowdown in consumption kept prices of poultry products flat this week.
The slowdown was due to lower domestic offtake (due to the austere Tamil month Aadi), Ramzan abstinence period and a dip in consumption in Karnataka and Maharashtra, major markets for Tamil Nadu's shell egg and broiler trade, owing to Shravan.
The Namakkal-based National Egg Coordination Committee (NECC) has maintained egg prices at Rs 2.37 a piece for almost a month now. NECC has retained last week's rates for layer birds at Rs 35 a kg while Palladam-based Broiler Coordination Committee has raised the price of live chicken to Rs 45 a kg (Rs 43).
The strike, according to Mr P. Selvaraj, Zonal Chairman, NECC, would not affect the poultry industry in a big way. “Movement of light vehicles that are used to transport chickens to the neighbouring Kerala, is allowed. And, supply to the noon-meal centres also is exempted. So, the broiler industry is a bit relieved,” he said. But if the strike continues for more than a week, transport of poultry feed may be hit, sources fear, as 80 per cent of the feed ingredients are being procured from other States. Maize, an important ingredient in the poultry feed, is brought from Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra to feed about 4.5 crore layer birds in Namakkal.
On the export front, with its table eggs already off the Gulf menu, the country is now eyeing Africa and SAARC nations, particularly Sri Lanka.
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