December 10, 2025

Industry official slams claims of massive hen deaths in Sri Lanka due to flood, cyclone

The secretary of the All-Ceylon Egg Producers' Association in Sri Lanka, Rathnasiri Alahakoon, said the recent rise in egg prices and drop in production was caused by a temporary disruption in feeding and providing vitamins to egg-laying hens during adverse weather, not by mass hen deaths.

Alahakoon rejected claims that over three million egg-laying hens were lost due to floods and Cyclone Ditwah as a "complete lie," noting that only 2–3% of poultry farms were affected. He stressed that this disruption has not impacted the country's ability to meet national egg demand.

He explained that feed shortages, electricity outages, and rising costs of feed — soy, corn, and rice bran — during the weather crisis, had temporarily disrupted hen nutrition.

"Floods affected only a small fraction of farms. The main problem was the inability to provide hens with the necessary feed, vitamins, and medicine for about a week," Alahakoon said. "Since egg production takes 20-30 days, the impact will last for nearly a month."

He added that production is now recovering and prices are expected to fall within three to four weeks, stressing that there is no need for egg imports.

- Aruna