22/12/2006
THE National Egg Coordination Committee (NECC) has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to ban forward trading and export of maize. The poultry industry is in the grip of a severe crisis due to the unprecedented rise in the price of maize, a statement issued here stated.
Maize is a vital ingredient of poultry feed and accounts for more than 80 per cent of the cost of production of eggs and broilers. The NECC points out that though the current price of eggs and chicken in the retail market are perceived to be high by consumers, the poultry farmers are actually losing more money now compared to last year as the break-even levels for production have gone up due to the high price of maize.
NECC said that the reasons for the unreasonable increase in prices was due to forward trading and export. The NECC has urged the PM to remove maize from the list of commodities allowed for forward trading and ban export.
