Egg prices have seen an approximate 12 per cent increase in the last month, largely due to the soaring temperatures and the rising cost of chicken feed.
Currently, one egg in the wholesale market costs Rs 5.40 to Rs 5.60, while in the retail market, prices range from Rs 6.50 to Rs 7.
"When the temperature rises from 33°C to 35°C, the birds become uncomfortable. Egg production takes a hit in these conditions," said K S Ashok Kumar, a poultry farmer based in Bengaluru and former president of the Karnataka Poultry Farmers and Breeders Association.
While there is a decreased need, seasonal surges in demand also contribute to the price rise of poultry products.
"Summer is the time when children stay home for vacations, and there is an uptick in parties, dinners, and other functions," said Kumar, noting that this increase has been observed over the past decade.
Vasanth Manickam, a poultry farmer from Mysuru, explained that higher prices of maize, soybean, and other raw materials, combined with low profit margins, have led to the closure of several poultry farms in the past year.
"In the last decade, maize and soybean prices have risen by about 50 per cent, while the price of eggs has only increased by about 20 per cent," Manickam said.
Even the current price hike barely covers chicken-rearing costs.
"It costs about Rs 5 to raise a chicken that lays eggs. Farmers make a profit of 40 paise or 60 paise per egg. In recent years, they were even forced to sell at Rs 4.2 in the wholesale market," said G Devegowda, president of the Institution of Veterinarians of the Poultry Industry and professor at the University of Agriculture Sciences.
The past couple of years have been challenging for the poultry industry. Product scarcity due to Covid-19 was followed by the shutdown of sunflower product supply from Ukraine. Devegowda estimates that even the current price rise may not be enough to sustain poultry farms.