Overview
- Retail prices have crossed Rs 8 per egg in major markets, with Kolkata touching Rs 8.50–9 this week and trays at Haringhata priced at about Rs 125.
- Festive baking and colder-weather consumption have lifted buying, with Kolkata traders also turning to supplies from neighboring states to meet daily demand.
- Industry leaders say years of high feed costs and earlier farm shutdowns have tightened supply, leaving production slower to respond to this winter’s surge.
- Dependence on inter-state shipments is adding 20–40 paise per egg in transport costs, with Uttar Pradesh sourcing up to 4 crore of the 5.5–6 crore eggs it needs each day from other states.
- NECC wholesale data show key hubs Namakkal and Hospet at roughly Rs 640–645 per 100 eggs, and market watchers expect prices to stay firm through January before easing from February.