Thailand’s laying hen farmers agreed today (Thursday) to lower the ex-farm price of chicken eggs to 2.90 baht each, instead of 3 baht as recently set, to ease the financial burden on consumers who are being hit by skyrocketing prices of pork and other products.

Internal Trade Department Director-General Wattanasak Sur-iam chaired a meeting with representatives of the Layer Farmer Association today to discuss the price of eggs, after the association announced an increase in the ex-farm price of eggs last week from 2.80 baht to 3 baht on January 10, sending the price of a tray of 30 eggs up by six baht.

The association president, Manoch Chootubtim, told the media after the meeting that, by setting the ex-farm price of an egg at 2.90 baht, farmers will make a minimal five satang per egg (0.05 baht) as the production costs have now increased to about 2.85 baht per egg, due to a 30% increase in the price of animal feed.

Thailand is producing about 41 million chicken eggs a day, of which 300,000 are exported.