From Middle East to US, Namakkal eggs break out of shells to go global
It continues to be the country's leading hub for egg exports, totalling 15 crore eggs every month. Some of the top export destinations include the UAE, Bahrain, Maldives, Oman and some African countries.
Jahan R, secretary of Egg and Poultry Products Exporters Association, said eggs from Namakkal are exported in refrigerated containers, each carrying 4,72,320 eggs valued at around $35,000 per container or approximately `30 lakh based on the current exchange rate.
'While Andhra Pradesh leads India in egg production, Namakkal ranks first in exports due to its proximity to ports, resulting in shorter transit times. For instance, shipping eggs from Andhra Pradesh to Middle Eastern countries can take up to 14 days, whereas from Namakkal, it takes just 4 days,' he said.
Vangili Subramaniam, president of the Tamil Nadu Egg Poultry Farmers Marketing Society, said, 'Only a tenth of Namakkal's 1,300 farms export eggs, but the region's export market has expanded due to disruptions caused by the Ukraine war and bird flu outbreaks in major egg-producing countries like Turkey and US. Namakkal has not been affected by bird flu, largely due to its decentralised poultry farm model which helps contain the spread of diseases effectively.'
Further, he added that before 2014, a transport assistance subsidy of about 7% of the Free on Board (FOB) value was provided by the central government, making Namakkal's eggs more competitive internationally through reduced export costs. However, since then, this subsidy has dropped to nearly one per cent. 'If the government brings back these subsidies, Namakkal exporters can compete better with countries like Turkey.'
Subramaniam said, 'The egg export business will grow steadily only if our government secures permanent trade agreements with countries that aren't self-sufficient in production.'
'The opening of the US market is a significant development for us,' said C Sasikumar, a local poultry owner. In terms of infrastructure, most exporting farms in Namakkal operate both production facilities and dedicated setups for cleaning, processing, grading and packing eggs.
However, countries like UAE require eggs from biosecurity-certified farms with a compartment licence, and building such infrastructure requires major investment. Further, obtaining this state and central-approved certification is also a lengthy process, discouraging new exporters and local players. Additionally, stricter standards in markets like Qatar — which now demand only 'AA' or 'A' grade eggs weighing at least 60 grams — pose difficulties, as Namakkal eggs typically weigh around 55 grams, he added.
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