As grim summer continues, demand for eggs, quite a staple in family and hotel menus, is plummeting. Inflow of eggs from other States too has come down and the dealers in the city are thinking of cutting down price to push up demand.
The dip in sales is due to the chance of eggs getting spoilt in the heat. Consumption of eggs during high summer is widely known to be unhealthy.
“The situation is the same everywhere during summer. But this time the problem is more acute with the April heat getting unbearable,” says Shajeela, a housewife who sells egg in her house in Chala. D. Selvaraj, a wholesale dealer of eggs from Mutta street in Thampanoor, has employed a person just to check the condition of eggs. “If the temperature continues to rise, price of the eggs will further dip,” he added.
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The price of eggs fluctuates according to the season. It will peak during Christmas-New Year and will touch a low in March-May. Current price of chicken white egg is Rs.3.80, natural chicken red egg is Rs.5 and duck egg is Rs.6.50 per piece while quail eggs cost Rs.25 for 10 eggs.
Families too have curbed their intake of eggs for fear of them getting spoilt in summer. Chicken eggs last more than duck eggs. “We used to buy eggs almost every day and keep them for a week in our refrigerator. But now, we avoid buying,” says Ramla, a housewife from Balawan Nagar colony, Manacaud.
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The demand for the famous ‘bulls-eye’ dish made from egg has also gone down, hotel staff say. A. Nasser, a restaurant owner from Manacaud, says he now buys eggs just for biryani.
Hidden factor
Another factor that has hit the eggs market is the closure of bars, says 74-year-old Baby, who has been selling boiled eggs for 40 years in Attakkulangara.
A wholesale egg dealer in Chala market says his average business has gone done from Rs.3 lakh per week to Rs.2.5-2.7 lakh.