The Association of T&T Table Egg Producers (TTTEP) is insisting a "terrible" local egg shortage has nothing to do with the bird flu crippling the US egg market at present. The group described the local egg shortage as unexpected but assured it is not caused by a health problem and is only temporary.
"Because of an unexpected decline in production there has been a major interruption in the normal supply of local eggs available nationwide," a release from the TTTEP yesterday said. "But this situation is only temporary and will improve over the coming weeks."
Vice-president Dennis Shawn Ramsingh said: "It is not the bird flu. This is as a result of a local issue that is still being investigated by all major stakeholders."
Ramsingh said the shortage could be as a result of various problems and until they got back lab reports, they could not make definite pronouncements.
He said the association was certain the shortage was not the result of the bird flu since lab tests were done to determine this and the results were negative.
Describing the extent of the shortage, he said, normally, close to 500,000 chickens have a 75 per cent to 85 per cent egg production. Production has dropped to around 50 per cent, he said.
Ramsingh said producers wholesale eggs to supermarkets and restaurants. Consumers who see eggs as a cheap, healthy breakfast food are being affected, he said, and the association is now forced to import eggs from the region to alleviate the shortage.
"We don't really import eggs unless there is a shortage and with the bird flu situation in the US we are trying to avoid importing eggs from there."
Ramsingh said over the years, the local table egg industry had been one of the most reliable and stable sectors in the poultry industry, producing eggs at the lowest cost in the Caribbean region.
One year ago egg prices were being wholesaled for around $16 a dozen.
In July, the price jumped up by $1.25. The association claims this price was fixed for three years.
Eggs are now being wholesaled for between $17 and $18.50, depending on the size. Consumers say this translates in the supermarkets to close to $20 a dozen for large eggs.