This summer in Mangaluru, an unusual trend has taken hold—egg prices are soaring while chicken rates are on a surprising decline. Wholesalers attribute the rising cost of eggs to intense heat and reduced production.

On Thursday, the wholesale egg rate hit ₹5.20 per piece, while retail prices touched ₹6 to ₹6.50 depending on the outlet. Generally, egg prices tend to dip during the summer due to lower demand, but this year the trend has reversed. If production doesn’t recover soon, prices may climb further, possibly reaching ₹6.50 in wholesale markets.

Alwyn Pinto, president of the DK Kannada Egg Suppliers Association, explained that several factors are behind the spike: high production costs, extreme heat in key producing districts like Ballari, and disruptions caused by the recent bird flu outbreak that discouraged poultry farming. Despite typical summer avoidance of eggs due to digestion concerns, the market is witnessing steady price inflation.

Conversely, chicken prices—normally high in summer due to reduced supply—have unexpectedly dropped. The current live bird rate is ₹130 per kg, compared to ₹160 during the same period last year. Chicken with skin is priced at ₹160/kg and deskinned at ₹175/kg.

Vincent Cutinha, MD of Provit Food and owner of Ideal Chicken, believes the price drop is a fallout of the bird flu scare, which led many to cut back on chicken consumption. He reassured consumers that chicken meat remains safe and there’s no cause for alarm.

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