How NECC egg prices work
What the NECC egg rate is, who sets it, why it is per 100 eggs, how it turns into tray and shop prices, and what moves it.
What is NECC?
The National Egg Coordination Committee (NECC) is an association of poultry farmers, set up in 1982 so that egg farmers get a fair price. Every day it suggests an egg price for each of its zones across India, and traders use it as the reference price.
Why is the price per 100 eggs?
The NECC rate is a suggested wholesale price for 100 eggs. Divide it by 100 for one egg, multiply by 0.3 for a tray of 30 and by 2.1 for a peti of 210 eggs. Every city page on this site does that arithmetic for you.
Suggested and prevailing prices
For its own zones NECC publishes a suggested price. For some other markets it only shows the price prevailing there. We label the two apart, because a prevailing price is a report, not NECC's suggestion.
Why do shops charge more?
The NECC rate is a wholesale price. Shops add transport, the cost of broken eggs and their own margin, so the price you pay is a little higher than the NECC rate.
What moves the price?
Demand (higher in winter, lower in some festival and fasting months), the price of poultry feed such as maize and soya, summer heat that cuts laying, and transport costs. Our guide to the best months to buy eggs shows how these patterns played out in past years.
When is the price out?
NECC publishes prices market by market through the day. If today's price is not out yet, we show the previous one with its date; we never show an old price as today's.