Minister of Trade Nalin Fernando said if the local egg producers don’t reduce the price of an egg up to Rs.38 from July 29, the Government will decide to import eggs to save the consumers from local egg traders who earn undue profits.
The Minister said, “It is a well-known fact that there were some practical problems for egg producers countrywide with regard to the egg production several years ago. However, these egg producers (poultry farmers) could reduce the price of eggs as the cost of production of eggs has now dropped.”
Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries Mahinda Amaraweera has also recommended importing eggs if poultry farmers don’t respond to the Government ‘s request to reduce the current price of eggs,” he said.
The Minister said that these poultry farmers and Egg Producers’ Associations are trying to increase the price of eggs during forthcoming festive seasons to exploit consumers. At present, the consumption of eggs has gone up by one million per day due to the increase in the number of tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka.
In these circumstances, the proposed duration of imported eggs will be extended till December this year, if local egg producers don’t reduce the price to a reasonable rate. At present, consumers are undergoing hardships due to the economic crisis and hence, the large scale poultry farmers should not try to “ fish in troubled waters,” the Minister added.
