Action to be taken against egg hoarders in Odisha, says Minister

Bhubaneswar, Dec 18: Minister for Fisheries and Animal Resources Development, Gokulananda Mallik, has issued a stern warning against hoarding and black marketing of eggs, emphasizing that strict measures will be taken against those found guilty.

In a recent media interaction, Mallik acknowledged that egg prices have surged in the state due to a supply shortage. He explained that a significant quantity of eggs is typically sent to West Bengal, which also imports eggs from Andhra Pradesh. However, due to an outbreak of poultry disease in Andhra, West Bengal has decreased its imports, further exacerbating the shortage in Odisha.

"I recognize that egg prices have increased in some areas of Odisha due to the poultry disease outbreak in Andhra Pradesh. Currently, West Bengal is sourcing its eggs exclusively from Odisha, leading to this supply crunch," Mallik stated.

He also noted that the demand for eggs tends to rise during the winter months, contributing to the temporary price spike. To address the situation, the Odisha government is taking proactive steps to boost egg production to 10 lakh eggs per day and is extending support to poultry farmers to help meet this goal.