Rising egg prices, shortage beset Pinoys

MANILA, Philippines — Apart from sugar and onions, Filipinos are facing supply shortage as well as rising prices of eggs, which used to be one of the cheapest sources of protein.

Data monitoring of the Department of Agriculture (DA) showed medium eggs retailed at P7 to P9 per piece as of yesterday. A year earlier, it cost P6 a piece.

The egg industry has been reeling from the impact of the avian influenza or bird flu and the high cost of production.

Increasing egg supply could take at least one year after the effects of the bird flu, Philippine Egg Board Association chairman Gregorio San Diego said during a briefing of the Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc. (PCAFI) recently.

“Increasing the number of chicken will take about a year,” he said.

In explaining the timeframe, San Diego said hens are produced from imported parent stocks.

“When we import parent stocks, we have to wait for about six months before they lay eggs, where we will get the hens. Then it will take another six months for them to lay eggs. More or less, the cycle is one year,” San Diego said.

Not only in Philippines

“High prices of eggs are not unique to the Philippines. In the US, egg prices rose sharply including in New Zealand. Almost every country is affected by the bird flu,” he said.

As of Dec. 29, the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) said 20 provinces in eight regions remain affected by the disease.

Two provinces, Ilocos Sur and North Cotabato, have ongoing cases.

San Diego said the cost of production remains high.

Feeds are the most basic input – taking up much of an egg’s selling price – as chickens feed on a daily basis.

“The feed component alone accounts for P5. Several years ago, the price of feeds was only P19 per kilo. Now it’s P34 per kilo. Other expenses also increased like electricity,” he said.

Because of high production costs, some egg farmers are hesitant to expand or continue their operations.

Moving forward, demand will play a crucial role in driving egg prices in the market.

“Prices right now remain high because demand increased amid relatively low supply. But later this year, we can’t tell the price movement of commodities and how it will affect consumers, so demand will be a big factor. If demand slows down, egg prices could be maintained or lower,” San Diego said.