Chicken eggs are sold at super cheap prices, what do farmers say?

Chicken eggs are sold in Hanoi for 55,000 VND for 30 eggs.

Sold everywhere

Recently, at the traditional markets and on some streets in Hanoi, many people were surprised to see chicken eggs being sold at "unprecedentedly cheap" prices. Instead of the price of 2,500 - 3,000 VND/egg, now, chicken eggs are being sold everywhere at the price of only 1,500 - 2,000 VND/egg.

“I bought 20 eggs and then stood up to pay, they only charged me 40,000 VND. I thought I was mistaken so I asked again and was told that eggs were only 2,000 VND each. When I got home I asked my friends and found out that there was a place that sold them for only 15,000 VND/dozen,” said Ms. Hong, who lives in Dong Da (Hanoi).

Not only Ms. Hong, on the way to work, Mr. Kien in Yen Nghia (Ha Dong, Hanoi) was also surprised to see some stalls selling chicken eggs at "super cheap" prices on the sidewalk.

“They put the eggs in bags of 30 eggs each, and sell them for 55,000 VND. It’s so cheap that many people stop to buy them,” said Mr. Kien.

Not only that, in apartment markets or online sales groups, chicken eggs are also sold at cheap prices right after the Lunar New Year holiday.

As the owner of a fruit warehouse, for about half a month now, Ms. Tuyen, residing in Thanh Xuan (Hanoi), has also imported chicken eggs to sell at 85,000 VND/50 eggs or 150,000 VND/100 eggs. According to Ms. Tuyen, this is an unprecedentedly low price.

“A few years ago, I had to buy chicken eggs for 3,000 - 3,500 VND/egg. Last year, eggs dropped to 2,300 - 2,800 VND/egg, which was already very cheap. This year, my uncle in Phu Tho raises thousands of egg-laying chickens, but the eggs he collects every day are not selling well, so he asked me to sell them for him at only 1,5000 VND/egg,” said Ms. Tuyen.

Cheap price, however, each day Ms. Tuyen only sells a few hundred eggs because after Tet, the number of customers buying eggs is very low, mainly customers buy fruit to eat to quench their thirst.

Selling chicken eggs for 20,000 VND/dozen, Mr. Dung, the owner of an egg and rice stall in Dong Da (Hanoi) said that he sells eggs only because of his passion, "there is no profit at this level".

“People avoid eating eggs at the beginning of the year, so they don’t sell well. Chickens lay eggs every day, and few people eat them, so the price is cheap. I’ve been selling big, delicious eggs for 20,000 VND per dozen since after Tet,” said Mr. Dung.

With a large sign that reads "free range eggs, 20,000/dozen, sold for passion", Mr. Dung's egg shop is still quite empty of customers.

What do laying hen farmers say?

Farmers lose more and more when eggs are too cheap

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Pham Van Thuan, a laying hen farmer in Chi Minh Commune, Tu Ky District, Hai Duong Province, expressed his concern about the difficult situation that the laying hen farming industry is facing. He said that egg prices have been at record lows throughout the past year. Since the Lunar New Year, large, beautiful eggs have only been sold wholesale for 1,000 - 2,000 VND each.

"My family started raising chickens in 2009, but we have never seen egg prices as low as this year. At the same time last year, wholesale egg prices ranged from 1,500 to 1,700 VND per egg, while currently, large eggs are only sold for 1,000 VND per egg," said Mr. Thuan.

Mr. Thuan's family is currently raising nearly 10,000 laying hens, harvesting about 5,000 - 6,000 VND of eggs per day, bringing in a revenue of about 5 million VND. However, the cost of chicken feed is up to about 7 million VND per day, not to mention other expenses such as electricity, water and care. The price of eggs has been continuously decreasing throughout 2024, causing farmers to face many difficulties.

Mr. Thuan said that normally during the Lunar New Year, industrial parks, collective kitchens and schools are closed, leading to a backlog of eggs because chickens continue to lay eggs. After Tet, egg prices usually drop for a few days before rising again. However, since last year, egg prices have dropped to a record low, but output is still very difficult, with no buyers.

Many farming households are facing continuous losses and cannot continue to carry on. Some families have decided to switch to raising commercial chickens or hatching chickens to "cut losses" and seek new directions in rural economic development. Mr. Thuan sighed: "Once you start something, you have to follow through, what else can you do?"

LA (synthesis)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/trung-ga-duoc-ban-voi-gia-sieu-re-nguoi-nuoi-noi-gi-405288.html