Namakkal Poultry Industry achieves major leap; exports eggs to US
CHENNAI : In a significant leap for the poultry industry in Tamil Nadu’s Namakkal district, a consignment of one crore eggs has been shipped to the United States for the first time, meeting that country’s strict standards. The eggs, supplied by two firms and dispatched from V O Chidambaranar Port in Thoothukudi, are expected to reach US shores in the coming days.
Namakkal, often referred to as the egg capital of India, is renowned for its robust poultry industry. The district produces approximately five to six crore eggs daily and is a major exporter to several countries in the Middle East, Africa, and Sri Lanka. Its network of hundreds of poultry farms has previously supplied crores of eggs to Qatar during the FIFA World Cup in 2022, underscoring its global significance in the egg export market.
The eggs were shipped in 21 temperature-controlled containers, each carrying about 500,000 eggs. According to a poultry farm owner, the eggs meet the strict standards set by US food authorities.
K Singaraj of the Tamil Nadu Poultry Farmers Association (TNPFA) stated that the industry in Namakkal is eagerly awaiting the US response to the shipment. “Though we export eggs from Namakkal to several countries, US authorities accepting our products will be a significant win for the industry here. This will help poultry farmers in a big way. Exporting to the US will also bring us more opportunities to supply eggs to other countries,” Singaraj added.
Another poultry exporter noted that 90 per cent of the eggs exported from India originate from the Namakkal zone, which ships about 200 million eggs monthly to Gulf and African nations.
“We are waiting for the news of the shipment being accepted in the US. Such a development will help the poultry industry and follow strict protocols since the US market enforces some of the world’s strictest food safety, quality, and disease-control protocols. This will help us remain competitive,” he added.
For Namakkal producers to gain entry, they had to demonstrate compliance with rigorous requirements, including minimum weight of 60 g per egg, grade A/A+ quality, and certification of no highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
This is reportedly the first time the US has sought consignments from India, prompted by widespread outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in major egg-exporting countries like Brazil, Turkey, and Canada.
Egg products entering the United States must be accompanied by an official inspection certificate issued by the central competent authority of the exporting country. All shipments must be presented at an official import inspection establishment or at a domestic establishment for reinspection by FSIS inspection personnel.
