August 2, 2010

India's egg prices, especially in the South, further lowers over the austere month of Aadi when the offtake is traditionally weak.

The National Egg Co-ordination Committee, Namakkal zone, slashed the table egg price to INR2.35 (US$0.050) a piece against last week's INR2.45 (US$0.053).

Also, broiler prices are expected to remain stable at INR47-48 (US$1.02-1.04) a kg for the next 15 days. The cost of production and the selling price are at the same level now at INR47 (US$1.02) a kg. Costs of input materials such as soy meal and corn rule at INR16,600-16,800 (US$359.51-363.9) a tonne and INR2,900 (US$62.82) a quintal, respectively.

"The main problem is dwindling export enquiries even after the country has been given an avian flu-free status. With slack demand on both domestic and export fronts, there is a possible accumulation of stocks. To prevent this supply glut situation, the prices have been slashed," said an industry source.

NECC's layer rates have come down this week to INR37 from last week's INR39 (US$0.84) a kg.

Meanwhile, the nation-wide indefinite strike planned by the truckers from August 1 in protest against increase in toll taxes, has sent worry lines on the State's poultry sector, which is heavily dependent on inter-State road transport to despatch the harvested egg and poultry meat to the neighbouring Kerala and distant markets such as West Bengal and to bring poultry feed mix ingredients.