 "Poultry farmers hit by low wholesale prices")
Poultry farmers have been hit by the subdued wholesale prices of eggs. Farms in Namakkal (Tamil Nadu), Barwala (Haryana) and Hyderabad, the major poultry clusters across the country, are under stress, as their realisations have fallen short of costs.
In the north, the average wholesale price of an egg is Rs 2.10; in the South, it is Rs 2.55. The prices are 20-30 per cent lower than a year ago and this has led to returns falling 30-40 per cent, as production costs have risen.
“For the poultry sector, the peak season is winter. This year, reports of bird flu during the onset of winter hit demand and now, reports of swine flu have put the sector out of gear,” said Parmod Singla, member of the Haryana Poultry Farmers Association. He added a farmer incurred a cost of Rs 3 an egg, while earnings were down to Rs 2.10. “In this business environment, we cannot sustain for long. The irony is prices in the retail market haven’t changed; so, it is the producer who is being affected, while middlemen are making a fast buck.”
Shabeer Ahmed Khan of the Poultry Federation of India said as some consumers were confused between swine flu and bird flu, this had affected egg prices, adding poultry farmers were losing 50-60 paise an egg. There was a consistent drop in prices in the past two months, from Rs 4 an egg to Rs 2.10, he added.
In the north, the average wholesale price of an egg is Rs 2.10; in the South, it is Rs 2.55. The prices are 20-30 per cent lower than a year ago and this has led to returns falling 30-40 per cent, as production costs have risen.
“For the poultry sector, the peak season is winter. This year, reports of bird flu during the onset of winter hit demand and now, reports of swine flu have put the sector out of gear,” said Parmod Singla, member of the Haryana Poultry Farmers Association. He added a farmer incurred a cost of Rs 3 an egg, while earnings were down to Rs 2.10. “In this business environment, we cannot sustain for long. The irony is prices in the retail market haven’t changed; so, it is the producer who is being affected, while middlemen are making a fast buck.”
Shabeer Ahmed Khan of the Poultry Federation of India said as some consumers were confused between swine flu and bird flu, this had affected egg prices, adding poultry farmers were losing 50-60 paise an egg. There was a consistent drop in prices in the past two months, from Rs 4 an egg to Rs 2.10, he added.
P Selveraj, chairman of the National Egg Coordination Committee (NECC), Namakkal, said a fall in the prices of Barwala eggs had hit the prices of supplies from Hyderabad, too. "Reports of bird flu and swine flu have undermined the negotiating power of poultry farmers," he said.
"In India, the primary producers of all commodities are recording losses, while middlemen are booking profits. Government intervention is vital to streamline prices. NECC and the Poultry Federation of India should engage in dialogue with the government to check price volatility and create awareness on safe consumption of poultry products," said a farmer.