President Ranil Wickremesinghe has ordered the submission of a complete report to the Cabinet of Ministers next week regarding the parties that have refrained from granting the necessary approval to import eggs.
Cabinet Spokesman Dr. Bandula Gunawardana stated this at the press conference held yesterday (31 January) to inform of the Cabinet’s decisions.
Gunawardana also noted that there will be a higher-than-normal demand for eggs during the coming festive season and said that if there is no adequate production in the country, the necessary amount of eggs should be imported to cover the shortage.
“Nowadays, there is a shortage of eggs as there is a situation where egg production cannot meet the demand. This shortage causes inflationary pressure, which, in turn, increases the price of an egg. The strategy in such cases is to import sufficient quantities to meet the demand and supply and to release them to the market. This is the process followed by every country. If the production within one’s own country is insufficient, then a large demand for the product is created; and if a large demand is met with a small quantity of goods, the price will definitely rise. This is a fact that even a child would know.
“The Minister in charge of trade (Minister of Trade, Commerce, and Food Security Nalin Fernando) informed the Cabinet that the State Trading (General) Corporation has to import a small quantity of eggs from India. They are not for the market but to be distributed to hospitals, schools (for lunch), and the bakery industry. But, there are certain forces that have refrained form providing the necessary permissions for this. He informed the Cabinet on Monday (30 January). The President ordered that a full report on the relevant parties refusing approval be given to the Cabinet next week, stating their reasons for the disapproval of the importation of eggs from other neighbouring countries. There are countries that export eggs. India is the main exporter of eggs. If someone decides that our country shouldn’t import eggs that are sent to other countries in the world, they should give reasonable reasons for that decision.”
Speaking to The Daily Morning, Government Veterinary Surgeons’ Association President Dr. Sisira Piyasiri stated yesterday that the association is strictly against this temporary measure to import eggs from neighbouring countries like India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, which brings about the threat of new viruses being introduced to the country through the process. Furthermore, he highlighted the need for the Government’s focus and intervention in seeking to rejuvenate the small- and medium-scale egg production industry in the country, which took a large hit during the economic crisis, with many experienced producers leaving the industry.
“We orchestrated an islandwide trade union action today (31 January) to emphasise our stance on the importation of eggs. The Government is trying persistently to move ahead with this importation which can bring many threats to the country while also being a very temporary solution to the current problem at hand. Rather than focusing on this, the Government could provide the necessary help for the small- and medium-scale egg producers in the country, to uplift the industry in order to have a flourishing industry in the future,” he said.
He emphasised that they are not ready to change their stance and are prepared to take further action if the Government is persistent in moving ahead with their plan as approval from the Department of Animal Production and Health is critical in making such a decision.