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Cabinet proposal to curb egg and chicken shortage

26 Sep 2022

By Buddhika Samaraweera Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera said that as the egg and chicken production in the country is not at a satisfactory level, he will submit a Cabinet proposal for the implementation of short-, medium-, and long-term programmes for the development of the egg and poultry industry. A meeting to discuss the progress of the Department of Animal Production and Health was held on 24 September with the participation of Amaraweera and relevant officials. During the meeting, it was discussed that although Sri Lanka has been self-sufficient in egg and poultry industry in the past, it has now collapsed due to the economic crisis, particularly the increase in the prices of raw material, animal feed, and medicines that are needed for the industry. It has also been revealed that although Sri Lanka has been importing about 80,000 hens a year in the past, that amount has now decreased to 10,000. Speaking at the meeting, Amaraweera stated that he will submit a proposal to draw the attention of the Cabinet of Ministers for the implementation of short-, medium-, and long-term programmes to uplift the egg and poultry industry in the country. Through such a programme, he said that the production of liquid eggs and chicken will be increased so that people can procure nutritional food. He also said that as a solution to the increase in animal feed prices, the production of maize and soy will be enhanced from this year onwards. He said: “We cannot be happy with the current situation regarding the production of eggs and chicken. Therefore, a programme should be prepared to prevent the collapse of this industry as soon as possible. Also, as eggs and chicken manufactured in Sri Lanka are of the highest quality, there is a possibility to earn United States dollars by importing them.” Egg and poultry industrialists recently warned of a shortage of eggs and chicken in the coming months, as the number of hens imported into Sri Lanka has greatly decreased. They have pointed out that the industry is in danger due to the shortage of animal feed, the increase in their prices, the increase in the prices of medicines and vitamins given to animals. They had also informed Amaraweera recently that by last April, the production of eggs in the country was 220 million, and chicken production was 21 metric tonnes (MT), but that by last July it had decreased to 164 million and 18 MT respectively.


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