The intensive cold wave in northern parts of the country that has resulted in increased egg consumption scaled up the price of egg to Rs.2.91 at Namakkal on Wednesday, the highest ever in the egg production hub.
Sources from the National National Egg Co-Ordination Committee (NECC) said that the previous highest price was around 288 and 289 paise about six months ago.
President of the Tamil Nadu Poultry Farmers Association R. Nalla Thambi said that the consumption of the north Indian States has increased by an average five per cent from the usual 10 to 15 percent to 20 percent of the district's daily production of three crore eggs, since the third week of December.
Noting that Tamil Nadu was no exception to escape the cold wave, he said that the prevailing weather has brought down the production by five percent (more than 15 lakh eggs a day) over the last three weeks.
“Meanwhile, the consumption of the State's local market has also considerably increased, thanks to the exorbitant price hike of vegetables,” he said.
He pointed out that school children under the State government's Nutritious Meal Scheme account for consumption of 70 lakh eggs a day.
Kerala with 40 per cent consumption, north India (20) and export (10) have a major share of the market while the rest is consumed by the State's local market.
Foreseeing that the cold wave in the north could extend till February, he felt that there were minimal chances for drastic change in the prices.
“It could either stand around the same price or increase by a paisa or two, based on the consumption and production graph,” he added.
