Egg, poultry prices surge on rising demand in COVID-19 crisis

The prices of poultry meat and egg have dramatically jumped as demand grew amid the COVID-19 cases spiking in the country, said the buyers from Dagon Myothit (North) Township.
The prices of eggs rose from K130 to K220 per piece, while chicken prices surged to K12,000 per viss.
Myanmar is battling against the COVID-19 in the third wave, and the demand for eggs and chicken is rapidly growing due to the immunity-boosting benefits.
The COVID-19 surge sparked the concerns of the people, hiking the commodity price on the rising demand. I want price stability in the difficult times, said a buyer.
Livestock and poultry production in Myanmar has been growing 10-15 per cent annually. Most breeders are using traditional methods, and some have shifted to modern techniques. Moreover, integrated poultry and fish farming is widely seen in Myanmar.
According to the MLF, at present, 1.35 million broilers are being raised for meat, about 1.465 million semi-broilers, and more than 2.9 million layers for eggs at integrated poultry and fish farms.
MLF has affirmed in the second wave of the COVID-19 that there is no need for people to concern with a possible shortage of poultry meat and eggs in the internal market during the pandemic. Yet, the rising demand drove the price up.
Additionally, the local products are now also facing pressure from foreign investors entering the sector. Local poultry breeding is primarily carried out on a small scale by farmers. But now, investments from China, Thailand and India have entered the industry. Therefore, the local breeders need to shift to modern breeding methods and increase the production rate to keep up with the foreign investors. — Ko Khant/GNLM