23.11.12

Of India & Egg Exports....



A spate of avian flu outbreaks in the last few years has dashed India’s hopes of becoming a major egg exporter. Oman, the largest buyer of Indian eggs, has now imposed second ban on Indian shipments this year following the avian flu incidence in a research farm in Karnataka. The earlier embargo on Indian eggs enforced by Oman in March, was only lifted in September. Oman accounts for over 60% of the Rs.100-crore egg export turnover from India. West Africa and Afganistan are the other major buyers of Indian eggs.
India has been in the egg export business for nearly two decades and the export turnover had swelled to around Rs.450 crore six years ago. The first outbreak of avian flu in India happened in 2006 and ever since egg exports from the country have been showing a downward trend.
Often the ban is imposed not knowing that the places where the avian flu occurred are far away from the exporting centre. Namakkal in Tamil Nadu is the egg export hub of India. Two incidents of avian flu outbreaks happened in Tripura and Karnataka. The second among turkeys in a government research farm.

No comments: