Egg Farmers Association Urges Government to Investigate Large Farms and Traders for Price Manipulation

Poysao Arikul, President of the Central Region Small-Scale Egg Farmers Trade Association, revealed that current egg prices are extremely low. Farmers are facing substantial additional investments, particularly in feed, disease prevention, and biosecurity measures following bird flu outbreaks in neighboring countries. These additional expenses include disinfectants, farm fencing, and disease vector prevention networks to strictly control disease risks. "Although the announced mixed egg price is 3.20 baht per egg, which is already quite low, farmers are actually selling 20-30 satang below this price. With average production costs at 3.22 baht per egg, farmers are losing money on every egg sold," she explained. The association is urging the government to urgently investigate large farms and major egg traders who are collaborating to dump prices below production costs, distorting market prices and making it impossible for small-scale farmers to compete. The association warns that prolonged losses may force farmers to cease operations, potentially impacting long-term food production stability and food security. Additionally, they are requesting farms to follow guidelines for culling laying hens: large farms should remove hens at 78 weeks, while smaller farms (under 100,000 birds) should remove hens at 80 weeks to maintain appropriate market supply and demand. The Egg Policy and Product Development Committee has maintained the egg-laying parent stock quota for 2026, recognizing that despite current hen numbers, egg prices remain volatile. Any increase in breeding would further pressure prices downward.