The Trade Ministry has taken the decision to sell the stock of eggs imported from India to issue the local market for the first time. Under this the first lot of imported eggs was dispatched to Lanka Sathosa stores yesterday.
Trade Minister Nalin Fernando said imported eggs will be sold at all Lanka Sathosa outlets countrywide at Rs. 35 each from today. An egg in a carton is priced at Rs. 40 each, he added. However at the open market the price of an egg is around Rs.50.
Eggs imported from India were issued only to bakeries and those were not available at the open market until today. Sri Lanka began importing eggs earlier this year through State Trading Corporation (STC) following a severe shortage of eggs in the local market and to control the high egg price. However it is believed that the prevailing high price of eggs will come down gradually with the availability of imported eggs in the local market.
The Gazette notification issued earlier this year stipulating a Maximum Retail Price (MRP) for eggs will be withdrawn according to the Trade Ministry.