Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera expressed serious concern over the extremely high prices of eggs in the market and responded to the request made by certain persons to import eggs as a precautionary measure to solve the egg shortage and said steps have already been taken to promote and strengthen the local eggs and chicken production within the next few months rather than importing eggs.
Accordingly, the Minister has instructed relevant Ministry officials to strengthen the egg productions in state owned poultry farms islandwide and also encourage unemployed youth in villages to start poultry farms in their home gardens and in unused bare state lands.
He said the Government is ready to provide financial assistance to those who wish to start new poultry farms.
Minister Amaraweera further said steps have also been taken to encourage Samurdhi beneficiaries to start poultry farms in their respective villages with the assistance given by the Government.
The Minister said that the price of main poultry foods such as maize the farmers mainly use will also be reduced after consulting with relevant officials and also expand the maize cultivation by granting facilities to farmers.
Meanwhile, All Ceylon Poultry Farmers’ Association, President Ajith Gunasekara also agreed to the Minister’s proposals and said importing eggs is not the permanent solution to solve the shortage and asked authorities to reduce the price of poultry foods and medicine and also provide financial assistance to poultry famers so that more farmers especially youth will be able to engage in the poultry industry .
He also said unless allocating more lands to cultivate maize, which is highly used by poultry farmers the prices of eggs and chicken cannot be reduced.
A leading poultry farm owner in Chilaw, Saman Ratanayaka said currently a kilo of chicken is sold at Rs. 1250/= and an egg cost Rs.65/= in the open market and it will be further increased unless the Government take immediate steps to resolve the maize shortage issue.
Add new comment