For the first time, eggs from Tamil Nadu’s Namakkal — often called the egg capital of India — have been exported to the US.
Recently, 1.2 crore eggs were exported in reefer containers (temperature-controlled refrigerated containers) through VO Chidambaranar Port in Thoothukudi. These shipments will be used for industrial purposes like liquids (after breaking) and in bakery applications.
Namakkal remains India’s largest hub for egg exports due to its robust poultry industry.
Sources at VOC port confirmed that 21 reefer containers with eggs were handled recently, and are now heading to the US.
C Panneerselvam, Managing Director, Abi Egg Traders, Namakkal, which exported the eggs to the US, told businessline, that each container was loaded with 4.75 lakh eggs. The shipment will take 30-40 days to reach the US East Coast, he added.
“We have been working for this export to the US for a long time,” Paneerselvam said. The next step will be to export table eggs to the US after complying with all regulatory requirements, he added.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) guidelines for importing meat, poultry and egg products into the US stipulate that all such shipments must be presented to FSIS for inspection.
The FSIS import inspection occurs after the products have met the requirements of US Customs and Border Protection and USDA-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) at the US Port of Entry. Only after passing these clearances, the product will be allowed entry to the designated place.
Established in 2009, Abi Egg Traders is one of India’s leading exporters of farm-fresh white table eggs specialising in exporting white commercial eggs to Oman, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Malaysia, and the Maldives. The company manages orders of up to two containers (10 lakh eggs) daily and produces 2,000 carton boxes for in-house use. It also supplies eggs for Tamil Nadu government’s Mid-Day Meal Scheme. The company procures eggs from leased, Government of India-approved poultry compartments located in Kurumbapatti Village, Namakkal, says information on the company website.
There are about 1,100 poultry farms in the Namakkal region. About 7 crore laying birds are reared in these complexes and over 50 million eggs are laid every day. Nearly 70 lakhs eggs are exported every day, reports said.
Nearly 90 per cent of the country’s egg exports happens from Namakkal, said Vangili Subramaniam, President of the Tamil Nadu Egg Poultry Farmers Marketing Society. Exports to the US for the first is a major breakthrough for the industry, he added.