The Cabinet yesterday (02) approved the proposal by Trade Minister Nalin Fernando to allow the import of eggs as a measure to ease the shortage and high prices of domestic production.
The General Public is in the view that it is a good decision taken by the President-led Cabinet considering the nutritional status of underprivileged children, to import eggs in order to make eggs available at an affordable price in a situation when the All-Ceylon Egg Producers Association is making inhuman profits from the current crisis by selling eggs at exorbitant prices.
Given the present economic crisis the General Public is forced with, eggs have been the easiest and cheapest way to meet the protein needs of children and pregnant mothers.
The All-Ceylon Egg Producers’ Association who earlier warned that if the government goes ahead with its decision to import eggs, the local producers would step away from the industry, claiming that importing eggs would put the local industry at risk, has now agreed to resolve issues related to egg prices through negotiation after the Cabinet nodded approval for importation of eggs.
A special program was launched by the Government to sell eggs at the price of Rs. 55/ in the Colombo and Gampaha districts, in December 2022, as a solution to the high price of eggs.
However, the price of an egg has hiked up to a range of Rs. 60-70 at present.
In such a situation, even when there is an economic crisis, this decision taken by the Cabinet led by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to provide eggs to General Public at a minimum price will be a severe blow to the mafia of egg sellers and will create a positive situation for the nutritional status of children; the country’s future.