Reeling under the rise in the prices of feed for the last few months, the poultry industry is gearing up for an increase in sales of eggs and chicken as the winter months approach, according to Financial Express of India.

Due to a hefty rise in the poultry feed in the last few months, farmers have been incurring financial losses. Along with maize, the prices of soybean meal, a key component in poultry feed have also sharply risen in the recent months. However, with the prospect of a bumper soybean harvest, the poultry industry is expecting the prices of feed to fall along with a rise in consumption of eggs and chicken over the next few months.

Currently, soybean meal has been selling at 25,000 rupees (INR) per tonne, up from INR16,000 in same period last year. Following the recent ban on the export of maize, another key component of poultry feed, the price has dropped from INR10,500 per tonne to about INR8,500 per tonne currently.

According to the Poultry Federation of India (PFI), as a consequence of the rise in the prices of soybean meal and maize, the cost of poultry feed is currently selling at INR19,000 per tonne, while it cost INR12,000 per tonne last year.

"After the Navratras and Eid, the consumption of chicken and eggs usually rises. Thus, we expect yet another good soybean crop and which may soften feed prices over the next few weeks," Ricky Thapar, PFI treasurer told the newspaper.

For the retail consumer in Delhi, the price of a liveweight broiler is around INR70 per kilo, while the price of eggs is INR36-38 per dozen.