In Sarpang, which is the largest egg-producing district in the country, egg prices have hit record prices these days. A tray of eggs now costs around Nu 460 compared to around Nu 370 in the past. People say the hike in the price of poultry feed and the temporary closure of the Sarpang Layer Cooperative among other reasons could have fuelled the recent spike in egg prices.
Shopkeepers in Gelephu claim that their regular egg suppliers have increased the egg price from the source. The shopkeepers now sell the eggs at 450 to 460 per tray.
In the past, we used to sell a tray of eggs for as low as 280 to 350. Now we have to sell at Nu 450 for a tray,” said Gita Maya, a shopkeeper.
“The cost of eggs from the poultry farms itself is high, so we sell with a marginal profit,” said Naina Maya Tamang, another shopkeeper.
Poultry farmers say they raised the price of eggs in response to the rising cost of poultry feeds. At the poultry farms, eggs are sold at Nu 2,450 to 2,600 per carton.
Depending on the quality, the current market price of feed ranges from around Nu 2,000 to 2,280 per bag.
“I sell at Nu 350 per tray from my farm. It is not good to raise the price at once as we have to retain our customers,” said Tulasi Maya Subba, a poultry farmer.
“The BDLC started a farm at Samrang and also here at Ramthaling, so they sell their eggs at cheaper prices as they have enough budget. However, in our case, we have to establish the farm on our own. So, even when we sell two cartons of eggs, the cost of one bag of feed cannot be covered. Fearing losses, some of my friends have closed their farms after selling all their birds,” said San Badhur Subba, a poultry farmer.
Sarpang produced over 38 million eggs in 2021 according to the Livestock Statistics 2021. This was over 29 per cent of the total eggs produced in the country.
The Sarpang Layer Cooperative, which had more than 200 cooperative members was the main producer of the eggs in the market at the time.
However, the cooperative temporarily halted its operation due to poor business last year. This is also thought to have added to the rise in egg prices. The cooperative has yet to resume its operation.
Karma Wangdi, Sarpang
Edited by Kipchu
