Egg procurement price touches ₹6.35 in Namakkal

The egg procurement price touched an all-time high of ₹6.35 in Namakkal on Sunday and is expected to rise further based on export demand in January. In the retail market, a single egg was sold for ₹7 to ₹7.50.

Namakkal, popularly known as Egg Town, houses more than 1,600 poultry farms, producing six to seven crore eggs per day. These eggs are supplied across Tamil Nadu and also sent to Kerala, North Indian states, and exported to Muscat, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and South Africa.

The egg price is fixed daily by the National Egg Coordination Committee (NECC), Namakkal zone, based on demand and production. The highest procurement price in Namakkal’s history was ₹5.90. For the first time, on November 15, the price touched ₹5.95. Thereafter, prices rose steadily—reaching ₹6.30 on Saturday and ₹6.35 on Sunday. Between November 15 and December 21, egg prices recorded highs seven times, a first in the region’s history.

Tamil Nadu Poultry Farmers’ Association (TNPFA) president and NECC Namakkal Zone chairman K. Singaraj said increased egg consumption due to winter and unexpected cold weather was the main reason for the price hike. “Until the cold subsides, there is little chance of price reduction,” he said. Due to severe cold, 5–10% of egg production (35–70 lakh eggs) was affected in Namakkal, while over 20% of production was affected in North Indian states.

“We expect the price to touch ₹7 soon. There is a possibility of price reduction only after January,” Mr. Singaraj added.

Chairman of the Tamil Nadu Egg Poultry Farmers Marketing Society, Vangli Subramaniam, said that poultry owners were unable to stock fodder due to cold weather. The moisture content in maize had increased, leading to higher fodder costs. “In January, depending on export orders, egg prices may either increase further or decline. However, if prices rise excessively, the public will be affected. Considering all these factors, egg prices will be fixed accordingly,” he said.