A crate of eggs is now retailing at Sh300 low from Sh330 for the last one month. The drop has been caused by the glut in the local markets as production by farmers is currently high.
Consumers in the country will continue to enjoy egg delicacies thanks to the decline in the poultry product prices since last month due to glut in the domestic markets as local production is up due to the warm-dry weather.
The price of a tray has been retailing for as low as Sh260 in some open air markets while major retailers sell the same measure at Sh300 from Sh330. Some traders have blamed this on the importation of eggs from other countries something that a poultry lobby group has refuted.
However, according to the Kenya Poultry Farmers Association, the price change has resulted from a glut as farmers in the country are producing more at the moment, which is normally the trend in January as chicken lay more eggs when the weather is warm-dry.
“It will be incorrect to say that the flooding of eggs in our markets is caused by imports from Uganda and South Africa as claimed by some dealers in the sector without proof,” said Wairimu Kariuki, the association chairperson.
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According to traders, a tray of egg from Uganda is retailing at Sh240 making it difficult for them to compete. Eggs from the neighbour country are arguably cheaper due to lower cost of cereals and less tax.
However, farmers who have supply tenders with major retailers, supermarkets and other main food chains in the up markets still sell a tray at Sh300 as the shops there are still selling an egg as at high as Sh12.
Henry Njuguna, poultry farmer in Naivasha has even turned to social media to sell his eggs says that his production has increased over the last month due to the warm dry weather experienced in the country at the moment and which favours layers.
“I now collect between 15-18 eggs from 12-15 eggs on a daily during cold seasons. I am able to meet my tender supply demands and still remain with surplus to find an optional market for,” said Njuguna.
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He keeps more than 1600 layers in a 50 by 100 piece of land. 1200 are growers of 14 weeks old and 600 layers which are over 20 weeks old.
He supplies his eggs to some of the big hotels in Naivasha on a weekly basis.
Kariuki though said farmers can still break even with the price of Sh300 a tray given the cost of production currently stands at Sh262.
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