CHENNAI: In a move that is expected to bring relief to consumers, the National Egg Coordination Committee has decided to reduce the egg procurement price by 30 paise.

According to Daily Thanthi, the decision was made at a meeting held in Namakkal on Thursday after there was a sharp decline in egg consumption due to the spread of bird flu in Andhra Pradesh and the increasing heat in Tamil Nadu.

Following this, the egg procurement price has dropped from Rs 4.90 to Rs 4.60. Subsequently, the egg prices in the retail sector have gone down as well and are being sold between Rs 5 and Rs 5.50 across Tamil Nadu.

Namakkal district is one of the largest egg-producing regions in the country, with over 1,100 small and large poultry farms and around 8 crore laying hens. The district produces around 6 crore eggs everyday, accounting for 95 per cent of India's total egg production.

In December last year, egg prices had shot up to Rs 5.90, which resulted in retail prices going up to Rs 7. However, the recent dip in demand for eggs has pushed the National Egg Coordination Committee to reduce the procurement price.