Rs 7 per piece: Egg prices increase by 35% in Andhra
The consumption of the egg had increased since May 2020 given that zinc is an essential mineral that keeps the immune system strong during Covid-19.
By Newsmeter Network Published on 1 Dec 2022 9:30 AM GMT
Egg prices have jumped by 35 percent in retail markets in most parts of Andhra Pradesh.
Each egg is selling at Rs 7 in most parts of the state. A few days ago, each piece was selling at Rs 5.50.
Probably for the first time in recent times, egg prices have increased significantly as production has dropped and exports increased.
Traders said Andhra Pradesh is one of the largest producers of eggs in the country. The state contributes around 20 percent of the total egg production in the country. The state produces over five crore eggs per day.
Despite the high production of eggs in the state, consumption is yet to increase in the semi-urban and rural pockets.
While the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has recommended the consumption of 180 eggs per capita per year, it is actually only 90 to 105 in Vizag, Vijayawada, and Guntur. It is around 50 to 70 in rural pockets of the state.
National Egg Coordination Committee (NECC) said that egg and chicken consumption in Andhra Pradesh has drastically decreased for over two months in 2020 due to the rumors about Covid-19.
The consumption of the egg had increased since May 2020 given that zinc is an essential mineral that keeps the immune system strong during Covid-19.
Chairman of NECC, Visakhapatnam zone, T Uday Bhaskar said egg prices increased in the wholesale as well as retail markets due to the increased exports to Saudi Arabia and a few other countries. The upward trend would continue in the coming months due to the slight gap between demand and supply of the eggs, he added.
In 2017-18, egg prices at the farm gate level (wholesale) were Rs 4 per piece in view of higher domestic output, while the cost of production had stood at Rs 3.20 per piece. Now the egg prices at the farm gate level were Rs 5.50 per piece and it may go up to Rs 6 per piece in the coming days. The country chicken egg is sold at Rs 10 to Rs 12 per piece in the retail market.
The availability of country birds' eggs is very low in the retail market and the price of the normal egg has increased to Rs 7 per piece. The price of the eggs may further increase in the coming days, said P Satish, a retail egg trader in Vizag city.
