26/10/2007
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- The delivery price for eggs has soared 30 percent to NT$25.2 per catty from NT$19.5 posted in the beginning of October, due mainly to sharp rise in chicken feed prices, according to the Council of Agriculture (COA).
Huang Ying-hao, director of the Animal Industry Department under the COA, said that the international corn price has galloped all the way since the fourth quarter of last year, causing the price of corn feed for chickens to keep soaring.
As a result, the production cost per catty of eggs has surged to a high of NT$21 to NT$23 from NT$15 posted late last year.
On another front, the daily egg supply has decreased by 2,000 to 3,000 boxes (one box contains 200 eggs) due to seasonal factors. The result is that the egg retail price has soared to NT$34 per catty from NT$25 seen two weeks ago. This translates to a hike of NT$1 for one egg, plaguing many consumers and restaurants.
Meanwhile, although the wholesale prices of leafy vegetables fell under the level of NT$50 to NT$45.3 per kilogram yesterday, the prices of rhizoma vegetables are soaring significantly, triggering complaints from consumers.
Huang You-tsai, director of the food and agriculture department, said that the average wholesale vegetable price is expected to drop further to the range of NT$40 to NT$45 per kilogram within one week as a result of the gradual increase in daily supply.
