CHENNAI: Regular patrons of bread omlettes or ‘mutta dosai’ during breakfasts or evening snacks will have a lighter wallet in the coming days as egg prices have touched `5 per piece in the city, thanks to the rise in demand in neighbouring States.
The intense heat wave in neighbouring Telangana has reportedly led to poultry deaths, resulting in a large number of egg cartons being transported from Tamil Nadu across the State border. “Around 24 per cent of the eggs have been sent there; this has pushed up the prices in Chennai,” says B V Manavalan, a member of the Poultry Dealers’ Association in Chennai.
The prices have gone up from `4.20 (wholesale) and `4.50(retail) to the current `4.4 and `5 respectively. The rise has been steeper in the last 30 days, with prices in Namakkal, the production centre, increasing from `2.45 to `4.11.
Across the State’s Western border, the demand for eggs is soaring as Kerala’s fishermen are on a 47-day fishing break. Egg is the second best alternative to fish in Kerala, says R Nallathambi, a veteran poultry trader in Namakkal, and as they are transported from Tamil Nadu, local prices have shot up.
As far as local reasons go, schools re-opening after the summer break has led to an increased demand in eggs for the mid-day meals, but there hasn’t been a commensurate increase in production, Nallathambi points out.
The Maggi ban has also affected the egg market, says a Chennai-based retailer, adding that boiled eggs and omlettes have replaced Maggi as the quick-breakfast option in several households. “We can see a direct impact on sales,” he says.
