With domestic egg production surpassing the daily requirement, the price of eggs is anticipated to drop below Rs. 35 during the upcoming festive season.
During a discussion held at the Agriculture Ministry last Friday (29) regarding the pricing of chicken and eggs for the festive season, Minister Mahinda Amaraweera noted that the current market price of an egg ranges from Rs. 42 to Rs. 48.
Minister Amaraweera debunked claims made by certain individuals and groups to the media suggesting that the price of local chicken eggs would skyrocket to Rs. 100 in April or during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year festival season. He attributed the stability in prices to long-term policy decisions implemented by the Ministry, resulting in domestic egg production exceeding the daily requirement.
On average, the daily egg requirement in the country stands at 6.5 million. According to the Association of Egg Producers, local poultry farms have already surpassed production, yielding over 7.5 million eggs. Moreover, the number of mother hens required annually, estimated at 85,000, has been exceeded, with over 135,000 mother hens across all poultry farms. All poultry farms are operating at full chick capacity.
Minister Amaraweera also highlighted that poultry farms, previously closed during the Covid-19 pandemic, have resumed operations. He assured that measures will be taken to ensure a sufficient supply of chicken and eggs to the market, particularly during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year season, enabling consumers to access chicken meat and eggs at affordable prices.
Source – dailymirror.lk
