CHENNAI: The egg procurement price in Namakkal zone has been increased by 25 paise to 480 paise following a decision taken at a National Egg Coordination Committee (NECC) meeting held recently, said a Daily Thanthi report.
Namakkal region, one of Tamil Nadu’s key poultry hubs, has over 1,100 poultry farms with around 4 crore layer hens. The region produces nearly 3 crore eggs daily, playing a significant role in meeting both domestic and export demand.
The price rise comes after a period of sharp decline that caused concern among poultry farmers. Recently, egg prices dropped by 40 paise within three days, adding to financial stress.
The broader Namakkal belt has over 1,200 farms and around 8 crore laying hens, producing nearly 6 crore eggs daily. Of these, about 80 lakh eggs were exported daily to Gulf countries such as Dubai, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain, as well as markets in Africa and Europe.
However, export demand weakened due to ongoing global conflicts, leading to a fall in procurement prices. For over 20 days, prices remained below Rs 4.50 per egg, with traders purchasing at an additional discount of around 30 paise. With production costs estimated at Rs 5.20 per egg, farmers incurred losses of about Rs 1 per egg, resulting in daily losses of nearly Rs 6 crore and cumulative losses of around Rs 144 crore over 24 days.