Egg price surge in India and Sri Lanka

In mid‑July 2026, Indian egg markets saw record‑high farm‑gate and retail prices. In Tamil Nadu’s Namakkal hub, farm‑gate rates rose to Rs 6.70 per egg, while retail prices in the region and Hyderabad reached Rs 8‑9. Officials blamed soaring feed costs, higher diesel and transport expenses, summer heat stress that cut daily output, viral outbreaks that forced culling, and a sharp drop in exports.

A week later, the same price pressures appeared in neighboring Sri Lanka, where producers set a new retail price of Rs 41 per white egg, and in India’s Odisha state, where retail prices climbed from Rs 7 to Rs 9. Both regions cited higher feed and operational costs, reduced domestic production from heat‑related bird mortality, and rising export demand. Odisha announced a subsidy of up to Rs 1 crore to help producers restore output.

By the end of July, the surge began to strain India’s school nutrition programmes. The national Mid‑Day Meal Scheme, which reimburses schools for eggs, could not keep pace with market rates of Rs 8‑9. In Karnataka, a Rs 5 per‑egg allowance proved insufficient, prompting schools to replace eggs with bananas, limit egg servings or drop them entirely, while the state sought permission to raise the allocation to Rs 8. Telangana’s reimbursement of Rs 6 left cooks covering the shortfall, leading to similar substitutions. Tamil Nadu’s education minister proposed adding weekly chicken biryani to school menus. Officials highlighted funding gaps in the PM Poshan Scheme as it strives to maintain nutritional standards for millions of children.