Egg business takes a hit in Punjab, suppliers await normalcy in Valley
According to the egg suppliers, about 30 trucks used to carry eggs from Punjab to Kashmir Valley on daily basis, predominantly from Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Sangrur districts.
As restrictions in the Valley continued for the fourth consecutive day, egg business in the state has come to a standstill as local suppliers have not been able to transport even a single truck of eggs to Kashmir since August 5.
According to the egg suppliers, about 30 trucks used to carry eggs from Punjab to Kashmir Valley on daily basis, predominantly from Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Sangrur districts.
Jalandhar-based supplier Jaswant Singh Setia, who has been supplying eggs to Kashmir for the past 30 years, said, “Around seven trucks carried eggs daily from Jalandhar to Kashmir but since August 5, we have not supplied a single truck of eggs to the Valley. A single truck of eggs yielded a profit of around ₹10,000. We supply eggs mainly to Anantnag and Srinagar.”
A single truck on an average carries about 2 lakh eggs worth ₹5.5 lakh. Egg farmers are worst hit as eggs remain fresh for only some days and when the supply is cut, the price of the eggs takes a plunge.
“Worst hit are egg farmers as when their supplies are withheld, it get wasted. Already, supply of eggs to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar is curtailed during this time of the year due to Shravan month while there is huge demand in the Valley due to Eid. It is a double blow to egg farmers,” said Jaswant Singh.
Suppliers said that from Ludhiana about 12 trucks carry eggs to the Valley daily. Sangrur and Barnala supply about 8 trucks of eggs per day. “The restrictions have severely impacted the trade. We are trying to minimise our losses by transporting eggs to other states, but this is not enough,” said Gansham, a Ludhiana-based supplier.
Anantnag-based egg trader Zahoor Ahmad said, “As Eid is approaching, I came here to transport a few trucks of eggs to the valley. I received two trucks of eggs every day. But we have not received a single truck of eggs in the past four days. Our business is on edge. We want normalcy to prevail so that no businessman has to suffer loss.”
