WorldPoultry: Indian egg industry recovers as Oman lifts import ban

Oman is the destination for about 33% of India’s total egg exports. Egg exports, which stood at 557.34 million eggs in March, dropped to 415.64 million (25%) in April, a month after the ban was imposed by Oman. India’s egg exports dropped further in May and hit a ten-year low in June, exporting 89.74 million eggs in that month.

Poultry industry sources said that Namakkal accounted for nearly 95% of the egg export from India. The industry in the second largest egg production centre in India, also suffered severely when there was a bird flu outbreak in north India earlier this year.

Oman banned the import of eggs from India on March 27 after an outbreak of avian influenza in Orissa, based on reports issued to the OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health).

The ban is lifted only three months after the OIE declares a country free from bird flu.

Statistics from the National Egg Coordination Committee (NECC), Namakkal zone, reveal that overall exports have been increasing in the last two months: From 89.74m eggs in June, egg exports increased to 136.97m in July, and were 212.53m in August.