State Trading Corporation (STC) Chairman Asiri Valisundara stated that the Animal Production and Health Department’s decision to distribute imported eggs only in the Western Province is a problem.Commenting further in this regard, the Chairman said that the imported eggs are provided only to the bakery and hotel industries in the Western Province.
Incidentally industrialists around the country requested eggs, but the Department of Animal Production and Health does not give permission to provide eggs to provinces outside the Western Province.
However, the State Trading Corporation is ready to distribute eggs to bakery manufacturers and hotel operators across the country aiming to increase the egg availability while bringing the prices down.
The Chairman added that another one million eggs are to arrive in Sri Lanka today (25) and egg imports will continue until there is no shortage of eggs.Responding to a query made by the ‘Daily News’ in this regard, the Secretary of the Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Food Safety A.M.P.M.B.Athapattu said that the Animal Production and Health Department does not have the authority to limit the distribution of imported eggs only in the Western Province.
This is a decision contrary to the approval of the Cabinet and that the imported eggs should be provided to bakery manufacturers and hotel industrialists across the country.
He said that since those industrialists are not only in the Western Province but all over the country, steps should be taken to provide the eggs to industrialists countrywide.