In the city of Idlib, residents are feeling the pinch as egg prices soar, making it increasingly difficult for families to afford this essential food item. Abdul Hamid Khattab, a 36-year-old resident displaced from al-Ghouta, struggles to provide eggs for his family of five at least once a week. With the current price of a single egg at three Turkish liras, Khattab finds it challenging to afford a simple egg breakfast, which now costs around 20 Turkish liras.
Khattab's situation is not unique, as most workers and low-income earners in Idlib face similar hardships. With inconsistent work and high prices for most goods, many families have had to change their consumption habits. Shop owners in Idlib have observed that customers now purchase eggs individually rather than buying entire trays as they once did.
The price of a tray of eggs (30 eggs) weighing two kilograms has risen from 55 Turkish liras two weeks ago to 75 Turkish liras today. The exchange rate of the Turkish lira against the dollar stands at 32.5 for selling and 32 for buying, according to the Union of Exchangers pricing in the Idlib region.
Poultry breeders attribute the increase in egg prices to a significant drop in the number of egg-producing chickens. Yasser Juma Zarifa, a poultry farmer in Idlib, explained that common diseases and epidemics have killed a third of the layer chickens, estimated at around 1.4 million. These diseases have also led to half of the egg production being spoiled, resulting in substantial losses for poultry breeders.
In addition to the epidemics, severe weather fluctuations during the transition periods from summer to winter and vice versa have negatively impacted poultry farms. The unprecedented sharp temperature changes from hot days to very cold nights have taken a toll on the chickens' health and productivity.
Zarifa noted that egg prices in Idlib are highly unstable and are linked to the law of supply and demand. After Ramadan, the low demand for eggs led to an accumulation of eggs on poultry farms, forcing farm owners to sell eggs at prices below cost. However, the price of an egg carton (containing 12 trays) has recently returned to $26, which is the production cost.
While the slight price drop in recent days may provide some relief for citizens, it negatively affects egg production in the region. Zarifa warned that low prices and high production costs might force egg producers to abandon the profession, potentially leading to sharp price increases in the future.
The impact of the poultry epidemics and temperature fluctuations has not been limited to egg prices alone. The prices of live chickens have also been affected, with the price of a metric ton of chicken reaching $2,000 last March. By mid-April, chicken prices dropped to $1,400 per metric ton due to decreased demand after Eid al-Fitr and the resumption of work in all poultry farms that had closed during the winter.
As residents in Idlib grapple with the rising cost of essential goods and foodstuffs, many are forced to rely on multiple sources of income to make ends meet. The instability in egg and chicken prices adds to the already challenging economic situation faced by the people of Idlib, highlighting the need for measures to support both consumers and poultry farmers in the region.
