Egg prices spike 40% in a month, broiler chicken now cheaper than eggs

In the last one month, egg prices in the country recorded a huge jump, soaring as much as 40 per cent while the prices of broiler chicken eased 25 per cent during the same time on account of 'added inventory'.

In Pune, the wholesale rate of 100 eggs moved up from Rs 380 on October 12 to Rs 530 on November 12. The retail price of eggs in Pune was over Rs 6 apiece. In Delhi, the wholesale egg prices went up from Rs 375 to Rs 525 (for 100 pieces) during the same period, data aggregated by online agency Poultry Bazaar said.

While the egg prices have gone up significantly, the price of broiler chicken has dipped owing to added supply from the poultry farms. According to Poultry Bazaar, the price of 1 Kg broiler chicken in the wholesale market came down from Rs 120 on October 28 to Rs 90 on November 12. The average wholesale rate of 1 Kg broiler chicken in Punjab is Rs 132 around this time of the year.

Every year, egg prices witness a rise due to increase in demand during the winters. However, this year prices have moved up remarkably.  "When vegetables turn costly, people switch to eggs, pushing up its rates as well. This is simple substitution effect," Raju Bhosale, executive member of the National Egg Coordination Committee (NECC) told The Indian Express.

This year, the spike in egg prices is largely being attributed to the rise in prices of vegetables such as beans, cauliflower, cabbage, brinjal, etc.

According to a report in Business Standard, Balram Yadav, managing director, Godrej Agrovet said,"Eggs are in short supply today due to lower production. The supply deficit is likely to continue for a few more months and the price would remain firm till February or March. In the case of chicken, poultry farms are sitting on huge inventory; backlog stocks are likely to be exhausted in two to three weeks. So, chicken prices would start moving firm in December."