The first consignment of eggs imported from India will reach Sri Lanka tomorrow (March 19), the State Trading (General) Corporation says.

The shipment will carry two million eggs in total, according to a spokesperson of the corporation.

The Sri Lankan government decided to import eggs in a bid to control the soaring prices of eggs and to address the shortage in the local market.

However, imported eggs will not be sold at stores for general consumption. It has been decided that these eggs be sold at Rs. 40 or less for food manufacturers, as a preventive measure to avert bird flu from entering and spreading in the country.

Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera recently gave directives to the relevant officials to expeditiously prepare a series of guidelines on how imported eggs should be handled in the bakery industry.

It is recommended that gloves are used when handling imported eggs in the bakery industry and eggshells are safely discarded, ensuring that the remaining eggshells are not dumped on the environment under any circumstances.

Meanwhile, ahead of the arrival of the first batch of imported eggs, the special commodity levy imposed on imported eggs has also been revised. Accordingly, the levy per egg was reduced from Rs. 50 to Rs. 1 for a period of three months, effective from February 21.

The first shipment of imported eggs was scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka in late February, however, it was delayed due to certification matters.