By IANS,
Bhubaneswar : Egg production in India is likely to surge from the current level of about 7,500 crore to about 9,500 crore by 2015, an industry body said Friday.
Egg production in the country is growing at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of over eight percent, according to a sector specific analysis by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham).
With over 2,800 crore eggs produced in the state per year, Andhra Pradesh accounts for the highest share of over 30 percent in the total egg production across India, according to the Assocham analysis.
Tamil Nadu, with a share of about 20 percent, ranks second with about 2,000 crore eggs produced in the state each year.
Maharashtra, Haryana, Punjab and West Bengal are other leading egg producing states in India. However each of these states has a share of less than 10 percent in the total egg produced in India, the industry body said in a statement.
Karnataka, Kerala and Odisha are other significant egg producing states with over five percent share in egg production across the country, it said.
“Low cost of egg production, high productivity, rise in egg consumption in the north owing to growing per capita income of a young and increasingly urban population and emerging export markets are certain key growth drivers of egg production in India,” said D.S. Rawat, ASSOCHAM’s national secretary general.
“On the flip side, rise in bird mortality rate due to less intake of feed resulting from an upswing in prices of essential feeds like soya, jowar, broken rice, maize and others together with seasonal uncertainties have led to a sharp rise in egg prices of late,” Rawat said.
The government should perk up egg industry in as it is environmentally sustainable and has a very low carbon footprint and eggs have the added benefit of being a more affordable and nutritional food option for consumers, he said.
India exports over five crore eggs worth over Rs.250 crore each year and the winter season is the peak season for exports.
Afghanistan, Algeria, Hong Kong, Maldives, Middle East and some African countries are leading egg markets for India, and Brazil, China, Europe, Taiwan and the US are India’s biggest competitors in these markets.
Namakkal in Tamil Nadu is India’s egg export hub and accounts for over 90 percent of India’s total egg exports. The global market for eggs is currently at over 2,000 billion and is rising at a growth rate of over 60 percent, the ASSOCHAM said.
Asia accounts for about 60 percent of global egg production followed by the US, Brazil and Mexico as they together account for about 20 percent, Europe (15 percent), Africa (about four percent) and rest of the world accounts for about one percent.