With the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) putting India on the bird flu-affected countries list on July 26 following outbreak of the avian flu in Manipur, Indian egg exporters have started feeling the pinch.
Industry sources said they expect a loss of nearly Rs 32-36 lakh per day from the ban of egg and poultry products? exports to the UAE, Yemen, Sri Lanka and Bhutan. In fact, in the past three days, egg exports have shown a steep decline of 50% from Namakkal region alone that accounts for 90% of the total eggexports from the country.
Sources said while Namakkal region exported 45 lakh eggs per day, it has now come down to almost 25 lakh eggs, forcing the farmers to reduce prices.
However, chairperson of the National Egg Coordination Committee (NECC), Anuradha Desai, who is also the chairperson of Asia?s largest poultry firm, Pune-based Venkateshwara Hatcheries, said the cut in exports will not affect the poultry industry. She said that the dip in export orders from the UAE were mainly because of the weather condition. ?Already egg exports declined by 3 containers per day owing to the summer in UAE, which is during June to August. Now, the UAE?s ban may cut one more container, which will not affect the market,? Desai said. She said, ?If there was loss in export orders from the Gulf region it will be made up by the Indian market that was already witnessing shortage of eggs.? Industry sources said the poultry industry had lost Rs 10,500 crore during the last year?s bird flu. Egg exports were alone hit for seven months between February and September 2006.