Sri Lanka is gearing up to import a substantial quantity of over 92 million eggs from India. This development was officially disclosed by Cabinet Spokesman and Media Minister Bandula Gunawardena on Tuesday. The decision, greenlit by the cabinet, was initiated through a proposal put forth by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who concurrently holds the position of Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization, and National Policies. The eggs, totaling 92.1 million, are slated to be procured for a span of three months.
Minister Gunawardena elaborated that the procurement process involves soliciting quotations from three Indian companies, as recommended by the Department of Animal Products and Health. These eggs are set to be imported via the government-operated State Trading Corporation. The primary objective behind this strategic move is to establish price stability for eggs and provide respite to consumers, all while the domestic poultry industry endeavors to recuperate from the ongoing challenges it faces.
Sri Lanka has been grappling with an unprecedented economic crisis for an extended period, which has led to a dire scarcity of essential food commodities. The egg supply chain has been significantly affected due to unavailability of critical inputs like animal feed, causing an adverse impact on the local poultry sector.
As a result of these challenges, supermarket shelves have witnessed an alarming absence of eggs, prompting the government’s intervention to source eggs from India starting from March this year. Initially earmarked for utilization in bakeries and food manufacturing, Indian eggs entered the Sri Lankan market at a substantially reduced price of about half the prevailing market rate, approximately 35 Sri Lankan Rupees each. This move has aimed to mitigate the shortfall and provide affordable options to consumers.
