TOBA TEK SINGH, Oct 4: Small poultry farmers producing eggs by farming layer hens are allegedly being looted with both hands by brokers.

During a survey of Kamalia and Pirmahal areas where small layer farmers are in majority, they complain that they are forced to sell eggs to brokers in the absence of any egg market in Kamalia.

“We are facing financial losses as brokers, most of them have their offices in Kamalia, charge their own purchase rates,” they say.

Rana Muhammad Ashraf, a small layer farmer in Pirmahal, says there is no check and balance on brokers who often reduce the purchase price of eggs by falsely claiming that the market has been crashed.

Another small layer farmer, Zulfiqar Sardar of Chak 683/24-GB, claims that brokers are purchasing eggs of 51 to 55 grams of weight for Rs2,380 per carton (300 eggs) and 40 to 50 grams of weight for Rs1,000 to Rs1,300 per carton (300 eggs) which they sell to shopkeepers at a uniform rate of Rs2,860 after mixing the eggs of different weights.He says if the stock of brokers remains unsold due to bad weather or some other reasons, they stop purchasing which forces small farmers to sell eggs at a throw away price for fear of being spoiled.

He says the brokers know it well that eggs cannot be kept beyond six days after their production and they use this weakness of layer farmers for their benefit.

Layer farmers say that after laying 200 eggs each layer hen becomes infertile and it is sold in the market which hardly covers the cost spent on its breeding.

They demanded of the government to set up an egg market at Kamalia or at the district headquarters.