The need to meet protein requirements and the belief that its consumption during winter keeps the body warm has pushed up the demand for eggs, say industry experts.
While the demand has been consistently growing, eggs are in short supply in the market, pushing the cost by nearly ₹2. The average wholesale price, which was ₹3.1 an egg in April in Bengaluru, has increased to ₹5 in November. The retail price in Bengaluru varies between ₹5.5 and ₹7, depending on the area. The rise has been steady over the past eight months.
According to estimates, Bengaluru, which consumed about 50 lakh eggs daily during the same period last year, has seen an increase in sales to around 65 lakh this winter season.
Annual trend
The price of egg going up during winter is an annual trend, say experts. “Awareness on protein is increasing the demand for eggs. Seasonal variation is also creating a gap between demand and supply. Since multiple stages are involved in production, any sudden increase in demand cannot be met,” said K. Giridhar, business manager at the National Egg Coordination Council.
He pointed out that though Karnataka — which produces almost 1.5 crore eggs daily — is among the top five biggest producers of egg in the country, most of it is consumed internally, which shows a high consumption rate here.
