Egg farmers cry foul on pricing

[Thaivisa News]

Bangkok: – Farm-gate pickup rates for fresh eggs are falling and egg farmers are selling below cost although the retail prices remain high.

The persistence of high retail prices and low wholesale rates would further fuel the egg market distortion, said Mongkol Pipatsatayanuwong, chairman of the Association of Hen-Egg Farmers, Traders and Exporters.

Mongkol said farm prices have been dropping to 1.8 baht to 1.9 baht per small egg. The production cost is estimated at 2.94 baht.

Farmerscan get no more than 2 baht per egg, he said. But retailers sell for 3 baht or higher per egg.

He has called for the government intervention to rectify the egg market distortion.

Farmers are victims of egg pricing, he said, noting that the high retail prices would drive away consumers and that the lowering consumption demand combined with the overstocking of hens will further depress the wholesale egg prices.

The Department of Internal Trade has estimated that the country is facing the oversupply of four million eggs per day, DIT director general Boonyarit Kalayanamit said.

The oversupply situation has been detected since November, Boonyarit said, adding that farmers started boosting the production capacity in 2013.

The increased production has been attributed to the rising imports of hens. Eggs coming out to the markets increased since last year, outpacing the demands.

Furthermore, the upcoming school holiday will see further drop in egg consumption. This happens every year as students would not have to rely on eggs for breakfast before they rush to school.

The DIT director general said he has been pushing the Policy Committee on Egg Products and Development to cap the eggs production in line with the demands.

[lust]

Thai people love calling foul. Did they blow their freedom whistles too?

[NeverSure]

Why didn't they cry fowl?

[JAG]

^^^ Got there first!

[LuckyLew]

River then rubber and now egg farmers

Any food producers in this country happy?

Or are they all always looking for gov't intervention and Government handouts?

If what you grow does not make a profit and enable you to support your family,

then grow something else

[taff33]

River then rubber and now egg farmers

Any food producers in this country happy?

Or are they all always looking for gov't intervention and Government handouts?

If what you grow does not make a profit and enable you to support your family,

then grow something else

Better you check your own country for handouts to farmers,do you only think it only happens in Thailand?

[Mr Somtam]

River then rubber and now egg farmers

Any food producers in this country happy?

Or are they all always looking for gov't intervention and Government handouts?

If what you grow does not make a profit and enable you to support your family,

then grow something else

Sir, you are applying logic and common sense, I rest my case.

[doremifasol]

"Farmers can get no more than 2 baht per egg, he said. But retailers sell for 3 baht or higher per egg".

Retailers buy and sell for a profit, it is a simple concept.

If farmers are not happy about it then why don't they retail by themselves?

[SABloke]

If you have to ''estimate'' your production cost, you're not running an efficient business

[lust]

Why didn't they cry fowl?

I see what you did there sir..

[seajae]

Strangely enough it would seem that some thais have a problem with less. When hotels had fewer customers their answer was to put up their prices , now we see that people are not buying as many eggs and the egg producers answer is to increase egg production then complain they arent getting enough money. Really have to worry about the mentality of some of these people but I suppose getting govt handouts has now become a prime business here

[ezzra]

Business in this country is mostly done the old wild west style, each to his own and who's

got the bigger gun (balls) win, until another, bigger and bolder player comes to town,

no planning, no control, no foresight, and this is why there is over supply of many

commodities and suppliers and farmers are suffering, mainly due to their own greed

and stupidity...

[SoilSpoil]

The price of organic free range eggs in Bangkok is 90 baht for 10! That's very expensive but they are often sold out!

[FangFerang]

Well, why not export them to nearby countries?

[djjamie]

With prices like that the market will be a hard egg to crack.

[worgeordie]

With the hotter weather coming ,hens will lay less,while the demand

should stay the same,so prices of eggs will rise,it all a case of supply

and demand in any business venture,you have to save when things

are good,so you can keep going when things hit a down turn,which

they always will.

All we need now is the mom & pop stores,seeking help from the Government

because Big C, Tesco Lotus is taking all their business,business people here

are always looking for Govt. help.

regards Worgeordie

[Daniel Ingalls]

.......any one remember going back 3-5 years ago?..The eggs back then have very thin shells. Maybe its the new breeds of Chickens, or a diet change with more calcium. I've always noticed the difference between the eggs bought here compared to the ones in bought in the USA Eggs here in Thailand taste

much better and the yolks are a deeper yellow/orange in color. One way to increase sales of eggs is to have a "Hug your chicken"day. In corporate a holliday

by doing what is done during Easter,..........an egg hunt of children. this would boost egg sales.......just an idea!

[Daniel Ingalls]

With the hotter weather coming ,hens will lay less,while the demand

should stay the same,so prices of eggs will rise,it all a case of supply

and demand in any business venture,you have to save when things

are good,so you can keep going when things hit a down turn,which

they always will.

All we need now is the mom & pop stores,seeking help from the Government

because Big C, Tesco Lotus is taking all their business,business people here

are always looking for Govt. help.

regards Worgeordie

Naw that wouldn't work, it wouldn't be a reputable venture having a mom and Pop store selling eggs,

They might throw in some of their own home grown eggs, and before you know it , You'll have bloody

eggs in the frying pan. Some how the rooster got too friendly with the hens. Commercial egg plants

keep the hens caged for life, so the eggs laid would remain fertile.

[Daniel Ingalls]

River then rubber and now egg farmers

Any food producers in this country happy?

Or are they all always looking for gov't intervention and Government handouts?

If what you grow does not make a profit and enable you to support your family,

then grow something else

They would make great Democrats.......hand outs and all!

[Nuddy]

As I understand it the farmer gate price is for every egg taken from the gate.

The big retailers of eggs have to guarantee every egg, make sure its not too old, is sterile and clean, none of which the farmer has to do.

Yeah that sounds like I support the big business types and maybe I do in this model having seen the huge egg processing places with totally sterile conditions.

Oh what am I talking about...the big retailers have their own egg production places and I doubt would buy from any so called egg farmers. really are there egg farmers.

Must be small stuff if there are.

[duncanb]

So farmers get no more than 2 baht an egg, tesco usually sell 10 for about 50 baht, someone is making a decent profit. Like in many countries farmers and producers in general are screwed by big supermarkets

[remaxtony]

Business is down across the board since the Army took control. Is it 2 million less tourists coming here now,,,,I think that is the number that I read? Well, that is a lot less egg eaters first of all, and everything is affected down the line. Trickle down economics......hurting a lot of the industries.

Anyway, it seems consumption is down for this reason among other reasons, and the farmers increased production......hmm, we have a problem.

And I want to know where I can buy these 3 baht eggs.

[Basil B]

So farmers get no more than 2 baht an egg, tesco usually sell 10 for about 50 baht, someone is making a decent profit. Like in many countries farmers and producers in general are screwed by big supermarkets

Yes, something stinks like a rotten egg...

Mongkol said farm prices have been dropping to 1.8 baht to 1.9 baht per small egg. The production cost is estimated at 2.94 baht.

Farmerscan get no more than 2 baht per egg, he said. But retailers sell for 3 baht or higher per egg.

But then do the farmers wash, check, grade and pack their eggs?

[mikemac]

Lucky for the egg farmers the Shins are no longer in power, they may have signed them up for a subsidy and they would have ended up with nothing.

[maidee]

they cannot go to market and sell themselves for 3 baht ?

[trainman34014]

The price of organic free range eggs in Bangkok is 90 baht for 10! That's very expensive but they are often sold out!

In our local market i buy a tray of 30 size '0' for 110 Baht, so people are stupid if they pay your local prices. Ours have never been over 125 a tray at any time.

[Gonsalviz]

Makro Has trays of 30 for 79-85 baht, regularly. Sometimes I have seen them near that at Tesco.

[Toknarok]

Aren't eggs supposed by law to be sold by weight not by number? Are wholesalers and retailers not therefore breaking the law by quoting the price by a single/10/dozen/tray of eggs? By the way, I consider the practice of selling eggs by weight to be ludicrous.

[Baa_Mango]

cry fowl*