An egg used to be one of the easiest ways for Indian families to add some protein to a meal without stretching the household budget. That equation is changing.
As , households are responding in a way that is already showing up on the breakfast table — buying fewer eggs, buying them less often or looking for cheaper sources.
A new survey by LocalCircles, based on more than 67,000 responses from household consumers across 287 districts, found that 62% of respondents reported a 10-50% or more increase in egg prices over the past six months.
Nearly half, or 48%, said they had reduced either the quantity or frequency of their egg purchases.
The survey also found that 10% had switched to cheaper alternatives or sources, suggesting that rising egg prices are beginning to change not just how much households buy, but where they buy from.
The increase appears to have been widespread. Among 21,469 respondents asked how much egg prices had risen for their household, 31% reported an increase of 10-25%, while another 31% said prices had gone up by 25-50%. Another 22% reported an increase of up to 10%, while 16% could not estimate the rise.
That means 84% of respondents reported some increase in egg prices, while 62% saw an increase of 10-50%. Not a single respondent said prices had remained unchanged.
The increase is also visible further up the supply chain. Ex-farm egg prices have risen to around Rs 7 per egg, from roughly Rs 4.94 a year earlier, according to the survey report. Retail prices in many markets are now around Rs 8.50-9 per egg, while some online platforms have seen prices approach Rs 14.
That works out to a rise of roughly 35-40% in a year at the farm gate.
A large part of the pressure starts with what chickens eat.
Feed accounts for around 65-70% of the cost of producing an egg, according to the report. Maize makes up roughly 50-55% of poultry feed and has become significantly more expensive, rising to around Rs 26,500 per tonne from about Rs 14,000 three years ago.
Soybean meal has climbed to around Rs 65,000 per tonne from Rs 40,000, while de-oiled rice bran has risen to Rs 22,000 from Rs 12,000. Overall, poultry feed costs in July 2026 were 15% higher than a year earlier.
The report also points to the growing use of maize for ethanol production. Maize supplied to distilleries rose from 8.3 lakh tonnes in 2022-23 to 125.75 lakh tonnes in 2024-25. Around 37% of India’s maize crop is now going towards ethanol, according to the report.
That puts food, animal feed and fuel in competition for the same crop.
It is not just higher feed costs that are putting pressure on the market. Supply has also been affected.
The report says summer heat killed more than 16.35 lakh birds in the layer belt of coastal Andhra Pradesh, reducing daily egg-laying capacity in the region by nearly 30%.
The industry expects the pressure to persist into winter, when egg consumption traditionally rises.
The squeeze is already being felt in government feeding programmes. In Odisha, schools and anganwadi centres are reportedly paying Rs 9-10 for an egg, against a government-fixed rate of Rs 7.
For households, the clearest sign of the price shock is what they are doing with their egg purchases.
Of the 19,638 respondents who answered how their household had coped with higher egg prices, 48% said they had reduced the quantity or frequency of their purchases. Another 10% had moved to cheaper alternatives or sources.
Meanwhile, 37% said they were continuing to buy the same quantity despite the price increase. Only 5% said they had not experienced a significant increase, and no respondent said they had stopped buying eggs altogether.
So, for many families, the response is not to eliminate eggs completely. It is to stretch them — buy fewer, buy less often or find a cheaper source.
That matters because the egg has long occupied a particular place in the household food basket: it is a relatively affordable source of animal protein. When its price rises, cutting back may not simply be a matter of changing breakfast preferences.
The survey throws up another concern alongside prices: egg safety.
As many as 70% of respondents said they were very concerned about egg adulteration, while another 20% were somewhat concerned. Just 4% said they were not much concerned and 2% said they were not concerned at all.
That means 90% expressed some level of concern about egg adulteration.
The concern comes amid scrutiny over antibiotic residues in eggs. The report refers to a laboratory test commissioned by a consumer group in December 2025 that detected traces of nitrofuran metabolites in a batch of branded eggs. Following this, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) ordered a nationwide surveillance and enforcement drive.
FSSAI later clarified that eggs are safe to consume and said claims linking eggs to cancer risk were misleading and scientifically unsupported.
A bigger challenge is the way most eggs are sold.
Much of the Indian market consists of loose, unbranded eggs, which generally do not carry details such as the date of laying, grade, farm identity or source. That makes it difficult for consumers to know where an egg came from or trace it if something goes wrong.
And when prices rise, the concern becomes more complicated. Households looking to save money may gravitate towards the cheapest eggs available — precisely where information about origin and traceability can be limited.
The survey’s findings point to something bigger than a rise in the price of a breakfast staple. As egg prices climb, households are buying less, while concerns about the safety and quality of what they are buying remain high.
For families that rely on eggs as an affordable source of animal protein, a prolonged price rise could therefore become more than a grocery bill problem. It could affect how much protein makes it onto the plate.
The survey report has called for the government to review maize availability for the poultry sector and reassess ethanol blending targets. It has also suggested easing maize imports as an interim measure, while pushing for greater transparency in egg sales, including making the date of laying, grade and source available on trays and cartons.