Following tomato, potato, and onion, egg prices are also now shooting visibly high. While eggs, in Mumbai, were priced at 60-65 rupees till last week, now they are being sold at 80 rupees per dozen.
Traders say that prices have increased due to the decrease in production. President of Mumbai Egg Trade Association, Ahmed Bhai, told The Quint that this boom in egg prices has been seen after many years.
There is a demand of 70-80 lakh eggs daily that emanates from Mumbai and MMR region combined. However, at present, the supply in Mumbai is limited to only 25-30 lakh eggs. The COVID-19-related lockdown has affected many poultry farms. Due to this, production has dropped a lot.
The Egg Trade Association chief has informed that eggs are supplied to Mumbai from Sangli, Miraj, Gujarat, and Hyderabad, but at present the goods have almost stopped coming in from other states. Ahmed Bhai is of the opinion that it cannot be expected that prices will be low by December.
Demand for Eggs Increased Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic
Demand for eggs has increased significantly during the COVID-19 period. In fact, due to the protein present in eggs, many doctors are also advising to eat eggs. This is why the demand for eggs is also high. In the month of April, the price of a dozen eggs was 40-45 rupees, but in four months the price has doubled.
- Tomato - ₹ 60 per kilogram
- Onion - ₹ 30-35 per kilogram
- Potato - ₹ 40 per kilogram
Somesh Vaidya, who lives in Dadar area of Mumbai, told The Quint that vegetables like tomatoes, and onions have already become expensive and now the rising egg prices have disturbed the budget at his home.
Eggs are usually eaten for protein in middle income families and are easily available.
(This piece was originally published in Hindi Quint and has been translated. Read the original story here.)
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