Kathmandu, April 25

Due to the tepid demand in the market, egg producers have been compelled to reduce the price of the commodity at present, but they say that the price will soon rise after the lockdown is lifted.

In recent days, one unit of egg has been selling for as little as Rs 10 in retail, a drop from about Rs 14 a unit a few weeks back.

Production has declined due to lack of market and producers have been selling eggs at a lower price than in normal times. “Since the demand for eggs has dropped, we have been selling our produce at a lower price,” said Shiva Ram KC, president of Nepal Egg Producers’ Association (NEPA).

As per him, most of the producers have halted while others have drastically reduced daily production.

“Consumption has declined significantly. A large number of people have left for their hometowns, so consumption within the valley has declined,” KC mentioned. “The situation is even worse outside the valley as most markets are closed due to the lockdown.”

Egg producers are at the moment selling their produce at a lower price so that they can clear their stocks, he added. “We are selling eggs at Rs 8.75 per unit in wholesale now, which used to be Rs 11.30 per unit earlier.”

KC, however, said that there is no exact data on how much the consumption has declined. Meanwhile, daily egg production has declined by 25 per cent, he said.

Generally around three million eggs were being produced per day in the country previously.

KC further said that in order to recover the current loss, suppliers will surely increase the price of the commodity after the lockdown is over. “It’s all about demand and supply. Once the lockdown ends, egg supply will normalise,” he said, adding, “And I presume eggs may become a bit more expensive after the lockdown.”

The egg producers claim to have already faced losses worth around Rs 600 million in the last two-and-a-half months.

Although NEPA had requested the government to include eggs among the relief materials being provided to the affected families, the government has not bothered to do so and only rice, pulses and oil are being provided, KC mentioned. “If the government had listened to us, it would have provided us some relief.”

Amid this, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development has claimed that the Ministry of Finance has been recommended to bring a relief package for poultry farmers too.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on April 26, 2020 of The Himalayan Times.