Soaring prices leaves egg lover in lurch

If you’re into eating eggs these days chances are, you might be shelling out extra bucks as the prices of eggs have witnessed an abrupt surge over the few weeks in many parts of the country. On retail shops in Delhi, the eggs were selling at Rs 7 a piece, which translates to Rs 125 for a kilo of egg.

A crate, which used to cost Rs 150 (INR 5 per egg) earlier, is now cost nothing lower than 175-180 or more, which is almost equivalent to one kilogram of chicken now.

“Egg prices have increased significantly as many poultry farms have reduced production for the current year because they did not get better rates last year,” Poultry Federation of India President Ramesh Katri told said to the Press.

Meanwhile, the price of broiler chicken is 30 percent down since October. According to a Business Standard report, broiler chicken sold at Rs 101 a kg (average) in the wholesale market of Punjab on Friday compared to Rs 132 a kg last month. In Pune and Nashik markets, it was quoted at Rs 62 a kg, from Rs 70 a kg last month.

Poultry farmers of Mumbai have been selling eggs at a monthly average of Rs 582 per 100 eggs in November as compared to Rs 422 in October.

In 2016-17, egg prices at the farm gate level (wholesale) were ruling below Rs 4 per piece in view of higher domestic output against the cost of production which stood at Rs 3.5 per piece.

“We have seen egg prices fluctuating in this time of the year due to winter demand. Broiler rates, too, fall because supply goes up as birds take time to reach the slaughter weight. But this kind of spiral price is something we haven’t noticed before,” says an Industry analyst.

Prices of eggs aren’t going to recover as fast as broiler, consumers still have to wait for a few weeks for prices to ease.