Egg prices up due to low supply, higher demand these 'ber' months

Prices of eggs have increased due to low supply but higher demand in anticipation of the holiday season, an industry official said on Sunday.

United Broiler Raisers Association and Philippine Egg Board Association chairman Gregorio San Diego said farmgate prices of eggs went up by P0.20 to P0.30 this week as compared to last week.

This means that the average farmgate price of a medium-sized egg is now at P6.55, up from the previous P6.35.

San Diego attributed the low supply of the staple food to the recent Typhoons Egay and Goring which affected the poultry industry in the north, as well as the effects of the bird flu that hit the country.

“Nitong mga nakaraang buwan, talaga namang lugi ang mga nasa negosyo ng paitlugan kasi… mura ang presyo ng itlog pero tumataas ang aming cost lalo na ang feeds, fuel, at kuryente,” he said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.

(In recent months, those in the egg business were at disadvantage because the prices of eggs were low but our production costs are increasing, especially the feeds, fuel, and electricity.)

“Kapagka P5.00, lugi na kami diyan kasi ang kinakain ng isang manok sa isang araw ay halos P5.00 na, feeds pa lang ‘yan,” he added.

(If eggs are sold for P5.00 per piece, then we're at a loss because what a chicken eats in a day is almost P5.00, and that's just the feeds.)

San Diego said the low supply of eggs may last until the first semester of 2024, and may normalize in the second half of next year. —KG, GMA Integrated News