With eggs being one among the foods that boost the immune system to fight the dreaded coronavirus, a majority of citizens have made it a part of their daily diet. As egg contains nutrients like proteins and vitamins, its demand has shot up during the present pandemic situation.
Owing to its growing demand and shortage in supply, the price of eggs has been going through the roof and an egg is being sold for prices ranging between ₹6 and ₹7 in the city market. Consumers are facing problems as some eggs are being spoilt due to excessive heat.
A super market chain store at Marripalem in the city sold six eggs at ₹50 recently. The daily consumption of eggs in Visakhapatnam zone, which consists of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts, is estimated at 40 lakh. Nearly half of this quantity is consumed in Visakhapatnam city, according to poultry industries sources.
Poultry feed
The price at which an egg is sold at the dairy farm was around ₹6 a few days and the retail dealers sell the eggs normally at about ₹1 more than the farm price as they have to bear transportation and incidental costs, apart from keeping some profit margin.
The cost of poultry feed has registered a steep increase this year. Soya bean cakes, which were sold at ₹35 a kg, is being sold at ₹75 a kg and maize, which was ₹1,400 a kg last year has now increased to ₹1,750. The egg production normally declines by around 20% in summer as the fowls consume less feed due to the heat, says National Egg Coordination Committee (NECC) executive member G. Ramakrishna Chowdari.
“The ban on sale of chicken, mutton and fish during the last few Sundays has also resulted in a huge demand for eggs. The prices are dependent on demand and supply,” says Bharanikana Rama Rao, NECC executive member.
