Bengaluru: Your daily dose of protein is now costlier. Egg prices in Bengaluru have climbed to Rs 8-10 apiece as wholesale rates rose over the past weeks, driven by supply disruptions.According to the National Egg Coordination Committee (NECC) website, the price has increased from Rs 671.7 per tray (100 eggs) in June to Rs 710 in July. But in May, the price per tray was 598.5.As of Saturday, an egg costs Rs 8.5 to Rs 10 at a few retail outlets and Rs 7.1 to Rs 7.5 at wholesale stores.While consumers are unhappy about the price rise, many say they are unwilling to compromise on their daily protein intake. Dakshinya P, a 24-year-old professional, said: “I first checked online, where each egg was priced at nearly Rs 10, but at a nearby store, they were selling for around Rs 8.5. I can’t miss my weekly protein intake, so I bought them from the local shop instead. For office-goers like me, eggs are a quick breakfast, so despite the price hike, I’ll continue buying them.”Traders and poultry industry representatives say the supply decline is seasonal.A retail trader at JP Nagar 6th Phase said: “I get my eggs from a wholesale store in Hoskote. An egg is sold for Rs 8.5, as the rates have gone up over the last two weeks. They are saying the supply itself has come down, so we can’t do anything other than increase prices. But now it’s the season of monsoon when egg consumption usually goes up, so there is demand in the market as well.”A wholesale store owner at Hosa Road said: “We have two farms in Anekal, where we get eggs from. The supply has come down from 2 lakh to 1.5 lakh per day. Now we are selling them at Rs 7.5 apiece.”Bengaluru consumes 65-70 lakh eggs a day, with a significant share supplied from Namakkal in Tamil Nadu. Karnataka produces 2.5-3 crore eggs daily, with major production coming from districts like Bengaluru Rural, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Mysuru, Belagavi, and Shivamogga. Despite this, the state imports 30-40 lakh eggs every day, mainly from Tamil Nadu.Officials said egg production is closely linked to weather conditions, and prolonged high temperatures in other parts of the country have reduced the laying capacity of hens, leading to lower output. The ideal temperature for egg production is below 25C.While Karnataka has largely experienced favourable weather, major egg-producing states such as Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have witnessed extreme heat, affecting production.Officials said Karnataka has more than 300 poultry farms spread across several districts. They added that the prevailing weather conditions could also push up chicken prices.MSR Prasad, Hospet zonal chairman, NECC (Karnataka chapter), said: “The spike in egg prices is being driven by supply constraints. Production has dropped by around 10%, leading to reduced supplies and higher prices compared to the same period last year. The prices are expected to ease over the next two months as production improves.”
