Egg prices rise in AP as Gulf exports resume

Visakhapatnam: Egg prices, which fell across Andhra Pradesh after the West Asia crisis in March, rose in the state as exports to Gulf countries partially resumed, traders said. The traders said the market remained weak despite a slight recovery in prices. The price dropped to Rs 4 per egg in the retail market in March and finally increased to Rs 6 to Rs 7 per egg in the third week of April.Andhra Pradesh contributes 17-20% of the total eggs produced in the country, with a production of four crore eggs per day. Egg prices across the state fell from Rs 7 per egg to Rs 4 in March as exports to Gulf countries stalled due to unrest in West Asia, according to the National Egg Coordination Committee (NECC).India exports more than one crore eggs per day to Gulf countries, UAE, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain, but exports to West Asian countries came to a complete halt for around a month after importers from the Gulf cancelled egg export orders from India.Ending a halt after the West Asia conflict, India's poultry (egg) exports to the Gulf region have commenced, but at a slow pace. However, higher freight charges by shipping lines are still causing problems for exports. A major chunk of exports to Gulf countries passes through Dubai, which also serves as the region's key trans-shipment hub.Chairman of NECC, Vizag zone, Sridhar T, said a large share of eggs is sourced from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu for export to the Gulf region. Though the egg exports resumed, only 50% of the egg trade commenced. The poultry industry has been facing a tough time due to a fall in egg prices in the domestic market. After weeks of crash, the price has increased to Rs 6 per egg, he added. The consumption of eggs will dip during summer, and in addition, serving eggs to students will stop in the state as schools will remain closed for over 45 days (summer vacation), he added.Poultry farmers say the average production cost of an egg is around Rs 4, and they incurred losses due to the halt of exports and fall in prices in the domestic market in the past month. Though egg prices slightly increased after the resumption of export, the scorching summer has dealt another blow to the poultry industry with a rise in birds' mortality as birds struggle to withstand the intense heat, they added.