In January, following an outbreak of bird flu in West Bengal, most Gulf countries barring UAE had banned import of eggs from India. The egg land of south India, Namakkal, which has a 60% share of the Rs 350-crore egg exports market in India, was badly hit. At least half a dozen poultry farmers had quit export trade and shifted to domestic trade.
However, with the World Health Organisation declaring India a bird-flu-free country recently, a few Gulf countries have decided to buy Namakkal eggs once again. For, Indian eggs are the cheapest. Eggs from Holland and Brazil, from where the Gulf countries were buying till now, cost $321 per 360 eggs, Indian eggs are priced at just $21.
About 60 lakh eggs were being exported daily from Namakkal until Gulf countries clamped down on poultry products from India this January. United Arab Emirates used to pick up 75 containers while Oman and Kuwait bought 40 containers each and Qatar about 20 containers every month. "We are talking to the other Gulf countries especially United Arab Emirates for lifting of the ban on egg imports from India,'' says managing director of VKS Exports Ltd A Sivakumar.
Besides Gulf countries, eggs from Namakkal are exported to west African countries, Afghanistan and Khazakstan and Turkmenistan. But the resumption of egg exports to Gulf countries is no good news for domestic consumers, for egg prices, which are already ruling high around Rs 2.25 in Tamil Nadu, is likely to increase further, says Tamil Nadu Poultry Farmers Association president, R Nallathambi. With the demand for eggs surging, the egg prices may hit even Rs 2.50 soon in Tamil Nadu, the farmers say.