Goa lacks poultry farms, depends on Maha & K’taka for supplies
Panaji: Surging egg prices are likely to affect the cost of traditional Goan Christmas sweets, with rates expected to rise to between Rs 120 and Rs 130 per dozen.
At present, eggs are selling at Rs 90 per dozen.
Jaikrishna Naik, president, All Goa Poultry Traders’ Association, said the high prices are unlikely to drop anytime soon. He said the hike in rates is not due to a shortage of eggs in the country but because of strong export demand.
“Due to a disease outbreak in Brazil’s poultry industry, its production has dropped from 90% to 30%. This has made India a major exporter, which has pushed up the prices in the market,” he said.
Naik said some people wrongly assume the festive season is responsible for the surge. Goa lacks its own poultry farms and depends heavily on Maharashtra and Karnataka. The state needs 7–8 lakh eggs per day, while local production is only 30,000 to 40,000, resulting in large-scale imports.
A shop vendor said the retail price for a crate of 30 eggs costs at Rs 225, compared to Rs 200 a few days ago. Prices in November were Rs 195, in October Rs 175, in September Rs 165, and earlier Rs 150.
“The price has not suddenly shot up. Rather, it has been increasing steadily,” said shopkeeper Mardan Malik.
He also said falling temperatures reduce egg production while demand rises every winter. “People consume more eggs during winter. Also, many eggs are used for Christmas preparations. This happens every year,” he said.
The rising costs are likely to push up prices of bakery products and traditional Goan Christmas sweets. Home baker Centina Fernandes said the price increase is likely to raise the cost of cakes and bebinca.
