Egg producers’ association claims ministers involved in ‘egg mafia’

The All Ceylon Egg Producers’ Association alleges that certain ministers also support a ‘mafia’ of selling eggs at higher prices in the market.

Secretary of the Association H.M.B.R. Alahakoon stated that there is a racket of buying the eggs stored in cold rooms at a lower price and reselling them at higher rates.

Mr. Alahakoon, who further accused that some politicians also assist in these rackets, also charged that the intermediate egg trading associations are responsible for this issue. 

“Those who said they could sell eggs at the gazetted price of Rs. 43 then, are now talking about selling it at Rs.65 or Rs.60.”

During the discussion held with Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, the Minister asked to create a procedure that the eggs are directly sold to the consumer, he said, adding that they distributed 400,000 eggs in Colombo city accordingly.

“They are trying to show that this procedure is a failure. Do the Minister of Trade and some associations who speak for the consumer also speak out for the egg traders?”, Mr. Alahakoon questioned.

He also claimed that the President of one of the egg producers’ associations is the brother-in-law of the Minister of Trade. “So, the Trade Minister can say that this work is wrong and to stop it. There is no point in criticizing us. There is a mafia in this that takes eggs at a low price, freezes them in the cool room and sells them again at a higher price. Some ministers are helping that.”