Egg added to enrich school midday meal

*Presidential directive to minister

*Maximum price for poultry farmers

The government has decided to supplement the midday meal of schoolchildren in the rural areas by the addition of an egg, with aim of improving their nutritional level, while also providing a good price for the eggs of the poultry farmer. The scheme came into effect from midnight yesterday (16), Co-operative and Internal Trade Minister Johnston Fernando said.

He explained the move would ensure an optimum price for the eggs of the poultry farmer, beginning next week.

Minister Johnston Fernando

The minister said he was acting on a directive of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to whom the poultry farmers expressed their gratitude for intervening to obtain a maximum price for their eggs.

They conveyed these sentiments during a meeting the Poultry Farmers Association had with the minister yesterday. The North Western Province Poultry Producers’ Association had requested the ministry to ensure a fair price for their produce.

President Rajapaksa made a directive to launch a programme to provide an egg to schoolchildren, initially in the Central Province from yesterday, to promote the nutritional standards of the students after Minister Fernando brought the issue of poultry farmers to the notice of the President.

Meanwhile a ministry media release said:

The government has decided to add an egg to the midday meal supplied to students in rural schools to uplift their nutritional standards. This would enable poultry farmers to obtain a good price for the eggs produced in their farms from next week, assured Co-operative and Internal Trade Minister Johnston Fernando when he met a delegation of the Wayamba Poultry Farmers’ Association for discussions recently.

The release said the delegation pointed out that a breakdown in their industry is imminent due to the sharp decrease in the price of eggs in the market. They said the market price of an egg is Rs 5.50 to Rs 6.50 as against the production cost of Rs 7.50 per egg. They requested the minister to intervene immediately to ensure a fair price for their products immediately.

Minister Fernando said on the directives of President Mahinda Rajapaksa they have arranged to add an egg to the midday meal supplied to students in rural schools. This will help to overcome the excess of eggs in the market and ensure an increased price for the poultry farmers for their prod uce.