Sri Lanka has no requirement of importing eggs as the country is self-sufficient in egg production, Livestock, Farm Promotion, Dairy and Egg Related Industries State Minister D.B. Herath said. Speaking to the media at his ministry in Battaramulla yesterday, he said an egg could be produced in poultry farms at a maximum cost of Rs. 14.50. It is the involvement of the middlemen which causes the price of eggs to increase unusually.
According to the State Minister, local egg producers have enough egg stocks with them at present to fulfill the demand and need of the bakers. Bakers can buy eggs from them at a lesser price, he said
Production of eggs in the country is expected to increase further in the near future with the new parent hens starting to lay eggs from the next three to four weeks, Herath added.
Commenting on the dairy production in Sri Lanka, the State Minister pointed out that local suppliers contribute only for 35-40 percent of the country’s dairy requirement at present and there is a capability of increasing this up to 60 per cent.
“We have been given a responsibility by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to increase the local dairy production while increasing its consumption in Sri Lanka”, he said.
He also said the MILCO and National Livestock Development Board produce nearly 300,000 liters on a daily basis now. But, MILCO alone has the capacity to produce 400,000 liters daily.
“We will take action to double Sri Lanka’s dairy production in the coming years”, the State Minister said.