US tariff hike stalls Rs 20 crore egg export from Namakkal

CHENNAI: Eggs worth Rs 20 crores that were all set to be exported to the U.S. have been stalled in Namakkal following the recent U.S. decision to impose a 25 percent tariff on Indian goods.

According to Maalaimalar, Namakkal, a major egg producing region in the country, had shipped 1.20 crore eggs to the U.S. for the first time earlier in June, which brought a lot of joy to local farmers.

As of now, Namakkal produces around 7 crore eggs on an everyday basis, with 70 million eggs supplied across Tamil Nadu and other states and an additional 80 lakh eggs being exported daily to Arab countries.

However, the recent tariff by America has halted the export of 1.20 crore eggs, which in turn has affected sales worth Rs 20 crores.

Each egg costs Rs 4.50 in Namakkal and Rs 7.50 to transport to the U.S, where it is sold for Rs 15. With exports being halted now, the Egg Exporters Association is planning towards redirecting those eggs to domestic markets.

Vangili Subramaniam, President of the Egg Exporters Association, said, "The chance to export 1.20 crore eggs to the U.S. was a one-time thing. The 1.20 crore eggs that are stalled is just a small part of our daily production. We will ensure these eggs are sold domestically to prevent surplus stock."