Armenia fears Easter egg shortage
Armenia has banned the export of eggs to head off fears of a shortage which could threaten traditional Easter celebrations in the ex-Soviet state, officials said on Wednesday.
The move follows a national controversy caused by a shortage during the New Year holiday season, when eggs disappeared from many shops for several hours and prices almost tripled.
The problem was blamed on market manipulation by major producers, causing the authorities to fine one leading poultry plant.
"There should be no shortage of eggs at Easter. We have taken several steps to ensure this," an official at the Armenian Agriculture Ministry, Ashot Hovhannisian, told Agence France Presse.
Armenians consume around 12 million eggs over the Easter period, Hovhannisian said, with decorated eggs a traditional staple on family dining tables.
As well as temporarily halting exports, the authorities have arranged to buy 3.5 million eggs from Ukraine in an attempt to ensure that the demand is satisfied, he said.
Impoverished Armenia is vulnerable to domestic business monopolies because of its economic isolation.
The country's borders with two of its neighbors, Turkey and Azerbaijan, have been closed for more than 15 years due to political disputes.
Source: Agence France Presse
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