Nahar Agro's double-yolk eggs – a delight for egg-lovers
When Fatema Khatun cracked open an egg to make breakfast, she was surprised when two yolks plopped into the hot pan instead of one.
Her brows furrowed immediately at this anomaly.
Fatema, a resident of the Kazir Dewri neighbourhood in Chattogram, was astonished. Perhaps wondering if she was caught in the matrix, she cracked open another egg – double yolk again!
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Now worried, she rushed to the local grocery store, Mayer Doa, from where she had bought the eggs from.
Her concerns were soon dispelled.
Storekeeper Iqbal Hossain told her the double yolks were no freak of nature.
"These are perfectly fine, healthy too," he said.
Turns out, Nahar Agro, a Chattogram-based company owning multiple poultry and dairy farms, has been supplying these double-yolk eggs in the Jhautala, Kazir Dewri, Dewanhat and Bayazid areas of Chattogram for more than 15 years.
According to Nahar Agro, although consumers were a bit sceptical at first, these unusual eggs gained popularity recently. With a surge in demand, the company is now struggling with meeting demand and consumers are deluging the company with advance orders.
Nahar Agro has a dedicated sales centre for these eggs adjacent to its corporate office in the Jhautala area of Chattogram. Apart from this, three other marketplaces in the port city sell Nahar's double-yolk product, with Kazi Dewri being the top-selling market.
Double-yolk eggs are costlier than normal ones. Nahar Agro's dedicated centre sells these eggs at Tk13 a piece, while the retail shops at Tk14-15.
How do double-yolk eggs form?
A normal egg has one yolk and the white, but double yolks occur rarely. Why?
According to poultry science, a double yolk occurs in an egg when a chicken, especially a young one with an underdeveloped reproductive system, releases two yolks into the same shell.
Md Abdul Hai, a former livestock official of Chattogram and the general manager (admin) of Nahar Agro Group, told The Business Standard, "It occurs in one out of every 1,000 eggs. The reproductive system of the hens [young and old ones] releases two yolks simultaneously in one eggshell, which is an accidental phenomenon."
Nahar Agro Group has about 1 million pieces of parent stock chickens – breeders used to produce the layers or broilers – in its different hatcheries located in Mirsharai, Sitakunda, and Fatikchhari areas.
"These chickens produce 1 to 2 lakh pieces of eggs every day and about 1,000-1,500 pieces of them turn out double-yolk ones," Abdul Hai said.
Are double-yolk eggs safe for consumption?
Mohammad Abdul Hai, a former principal of Jhenaidah Government Veterinary College, told TBS, "It is perfectly safe to eat double-yolk eggs. My family members eat them regularly. There is concern and prejudice among people regarding these eggs. Some even believe that a woman having such eggs might give birth to twins, which is a baseless assumption."
"One yolk contains 13 types of vitamins and minerals and double-yolk will provide double the vitamins and minerals," he added.
Echoing the same, Md Tariqul Islam, production officer (Livestock) of Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, told TBS, "Double yolk in chicken eggs is a rare phenomenon that involves several factors including genetic, age, and nutrition. But there is no chance of any side effects from consuming these eggs."
Is Nahar Agro profiting from selling these eggs?
According to Nahar Agro, the normal weight of a chicken egg is about 50 grams but the weight of a double-yolk egg is 75-80 grams. That is why the price of these eggs is 20-25% higher than the normal eggs. Despite high prices, the demand for these eggs is increasing because of their larger size.
Nahar Agro Group Managing Director Rakibur Rahman Tutul said parent stock chickens reach peak production between 26 and 30 weeks. These egg-laying hens need 150 to 160 grams of feed per day.
"We usually produce chicks from eggs produced from parent stock but it is not possible to produce chicks from the double-yolk eggs which is a concern for us. Because, if the production of double-yolk eggs increases, chick production will decline, causing financial losses for us," Nahar Agro Manager (HR and Admin) Md Sohail Rana told TBS.
How are consumers taking it?
Visiting the Nahar Agro sale centre in the Jhautala area recently, TBS spoke with the centre's in-charge Salim Reza.
"The demand for these eggs in the market is very good but the supply is irregular and inadequate. Eggs arrive at the centre from farms at two-three days intervals. Many customers place orders in advance. Apart from our sales centre, three wholesalers buy these eggs from us."
Visiting the Mayer Doa store in Kazir Dewri market, TBS has seen that double-yolk eggs of both white and brown colours are arranged along with a variety of eggs. But the double-yolk egg, due to its large size, is attracting the attention of buyers and selling for Tk180 a dozen.
Iqbal Hossain, the owner of the Mayer Doa store, said, "Some 350 pieces of the double-yolk variety are sold here every day. We buy wholesale at Tk13 and sell at Tk14."
Regarding the price, a consumer named Humayun Kabir told TBS, "The price is high but the size is much bigger than normal eggs. Besides, two yolks together look beautiful and I am a fan."
