Soaring egg prices to be curbed

by Uditha KUMARASINGHE

The Co-operatives and Internal Trade Ministry has decided to purchase eggs directly from poultry farmers with effect from Monday to provide eggs to the consumers at fair prices.

The Ministry intends to directly purchase an egg from a poultry farmer for Rs.12 and sell them to the consumers at Rs.13 through the Economic Centres and Laksathosa outlets, Co-operatives and Internal Trade Minister Johnston Fernando told the Sunday Observer yesterday.

This follows a discussion I had with the poultry farmers held at Community Centre, Panduwasnuwara yesterday.

A large number of poultry farmers in Kurunegala district attended this discussion. Following a request made by me from Poultry farmers, they pledged to provide an egg to a whole sale price of Rs.12, he said.

According to Minister, Panduwasnuwara, Kuliyapitiya and Nikaweratiya are the major egg producing areas in the country. Nearly 75 per cent of the egg production comes from the Kurunegala district.

The Ministry would deploy CWE lorries with effect from Monday to these major egg producing areas to directly purchase eggs. The Ministry has decided to recommend a controlled price for the eggs. This would prevent the traders to increase the prices of eggs haphazardly, the Minister said.

The Minister said during the discussion with farmers, they revealed that this shortage of eggs in the local market has been artificially created due to a monopoly maintained by a one particular person.

In addition, the chairman of these poultry farmers association is a person who has not engaged in poultry farming whatsoever.

The intention of this move is to create a shortage of eggs in the market and put the Government into difficulties by further increasing the egg prices during the forthcoming festive season in December. Those who have engaged in the poultry industry has also increased the prices of chicks unjustifiably. As a result a prices of a chick has been increased from Rs.80 to Rs.200, he said.