Nearly 250,000 low income housewives will be provided with infrastructure facilities to start poultry farms to produce eggs for the local consumers and Rs.2,800 million will be allocated for this purpose this year.
The Government has to import eggs continuously to meet the local demands for eggs. More than Rs. 62,000 million has been spent as foreign exchange to import eggs from neighbouring countries, Deputy Executive Director (Administration) of Sri Lanka Eggs producers’ Association of the North Western Province S.M.L.Wimalasena said.
He said local poultry farmers’ associations have increased the prices of eggs unreasonably during the recent past.
As a result, the Government was compelled to import eggs in millions for months to cater to the needs of local consumers and safeguard them from local egg sellers who increase the prices in an ad hoc manner.
Speaking at a meeting of Poultry Farmers of the Kurunegala District, Wimalasena said Government Ministries have failed to work out a productive plan so far to solve the problems of poultry farmers and the local eggs consumers satisfactorily.
Nearly 75,000 unemployed youth can be made available with good self-employment sources of income if they are encouraged in engaging in this industry in a profitable manner, he said.
