CHITWAN, Oct 28: The price of eggs that had been decreasing since the first week of the Nepali month of Bhadra, has started to rise again starting Monday. Farmers are now forced to sell their products close to the cost price.
According to Binod Pokharel, president of the Nepal Layers Poultry Farmers Association, the price of large eggs per crate (30 eggs) has been fixed at Rs 500, with Rs 485 for medium and Rs 515 for ‘XL’ effective from Monday. Earlier, eggs were sold at the same rate, but had decreased to Rs 360 for large eggs, Rs 300 for medium, and Rs 375 for XL eggs.
Egg price increased, still short of production cost
President Pokharel said that the prices have gradually started to rise for the last two weeks. The cost price per egg is Rs 16.56. Rajendra Lamichhane, the outgoing president of the Nepal Poultry Traders Forum, said that the price of eggs has returned to its previous levels, due to a decrease in production and an increase in demand.
In the last week of August, the daily egg production was around 3 million. However, this number has decreased to around 2.2 million. Many farmers have been displaced as their losses continue to increase.
Poultry farmer Trilochan Kandel, who is also the outgoing president of Chitwan Industry Association, said that egg production has decreased due to farmers selling their hens and the inability to raise new chicks. Kandel said that 75 percent of farmers have been displaced, though some farmers have returned to the business. He said that if farmers are compelled to sell eggs at a price lower than the cost price, the rest of the farmers will also be displaced.
