Bhubaneswar: Odisha is facing a significant gap between demand and production of eggs, forcing the state to make large-scale imports from neighbouring states, fisheries and animal resources development minister Gokulananda Mallik said in the assembly on Wednesday.
According to sources, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) recommends 180 eggs per year for an individual. However, the current availability in Odisha is only 80 eggs/person annually.
In the 2023-24 financial year, the state's total egg demand was approximately 138 crore, whereas local production stood at 101 crore. To bridge this gap, around 15 lakh eggs were imported daily from states like Andhra Pradesh.
Despite the shortfall, Odisha has also been supplying around 10 to 12 lakh eggs to other states, primarily Andhra Pradesh, highlighting a complex supply chain, the minister said.
To address this issue and make the state self-sufficient in egg production, the govt has introduced various schemes under the Mukhyamantri Krushi Udyog Yojana and other poultry development programmes. These initiatives offer financial support to farmers and entrepreneurs for setting up commercial layer farms with a capacity of 1,000 birds.
"The govt provides subsidies ranging from 50% for general farmers to 60% for those from SC/ST and women-led self-help groups," Mallik said.
Additionally, bio-secure layer farming and backyard poultry rearing are being promoted to enhance local egg production.