Egg prices likely to rise again in Kerala as feed costs soar; duck eggs touch ₹18

Kottayam: Egg prices, which fell in recent days, are likely to rise again due to an increase in poultry feed prices. Soybean cake and broken rice are the main ingredients used in chicken and duck feed, and the prices of both have increased drastically.

The price of chicken eggs, which had reached ₹7.50–8 per egg, fell to ₹7 with the arrival of Onam. Duck egg prices had touched ₹18 but declined to ₹12–15 in recent days. However, traders said there are indications that prices may rise again.

A 50-kg bag of poultry feed now costs ₹2,300, an increase of around ₹500. The price of a bag of broken rice has risen to ₹1,350 from ₹1,100. Soybean cake, meanwhile, has increased from ₹45 to ₹66 per kg.

As broken rice is being diverted for ethanol production, poultry farmers are finding it increasingly difficult to obtain it from grain warehouses at affordable prices. There is also a proposal to limit the proportion of broken rice in ration rice to a maximum of 5 per cent, aimed at preventing the misuse of ration rice as poultry feed.

The price of chicken eggs, which was ₹5.80 in March 2025, rose to ₹6.40 in April this year and later crossed ₹7. The severe heat during February and March affected poultry farms and consequently reduced egg production.

Kerala receives around 2.14 crore eggs every day from Namakkal, a major egg-producing centre. Most duck eggs consumed in Kerala are produced locally. With feed prices rising, the cost of maintaining ducks has also increased. Farmers say the daily cost of maintaining 1,000 ducks is around ₹6,000. With the increase in feed costs, this could cross ₹10,000.