Egg industry in crisis - UK retailers must take urgent action in next two weeks

The egg industry is facing unprecedented rises in the cost of production, with farmers losing money on every egg they produce.

This has increased in recent weeks due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and many have made the decision to stop producing, rather than lose their farms.

In turn, this will result in falling number of hens in the UK and increasing pressure on supply.

In the past year alone, the national flock has declined by approximately four million.

Feed increases are at the forefront of the surge in costs, exacerbated by the war in Ukraine which has added 25 to 30p per dozen feed costs on top of never-before-seen cost increases right across the supply chain, from pullets to energy, and well-reported labour shortages.

The cost of pullets has risen by five per cent over the past month, and more than 15 per cent in the past two years.

The cost of feed for egg laying birds is now £400 per tonne, up around 50 per cent over the past two years.

This is expected to rise even further with Russia and Ukraine being major exporters of key raw materials used in the feed.

Andrew Joret, chairman of the British Egg Industry Council, which represents the industry, commented: “The tidal wave of cost increases will see many family farms, some of which have been producing eggs for generations, going under in a matter of days, unless something is done quickly.”

According to the BEIC, the increase in uncontrollable input costs required to produce eggs, which is currently up by around 30 per cent on farms, shows no signs of slowing down and the availability of British eggs on supermarket shelves is seriously under threat if these costs are not passed on.

Mr Joret continued: “The situation was unsustainable prior to the terrible war, but feed prices have accelerated dramatically in a way never before seen and farmers cannot absorb these costs and carry on with a viable business.

“Ten years ago, you might typically have paid £1.35 for six medium eggs, which today often cost less than £1, which is a third of the price of a barista coffee.

“Eggs are one of the most undervalued natural whole foods; packed with protein, vitamins and minerals.

“They provide the whole family with nutritious meals at a fraction of the cost of some other proteins.”

BEIC research shows that consumers want to be able to buy British eggs, however, the current crisis means that they may not be available in the same numbers if the real costs of production are not recognised in the price people pay for their eggs.

“It is our top priority to keep up the usual supply of British eggs, the majority of which are produced to the world-leading quality and welfare standards set by the Lion Code, which are enjoyed by so many people around the UK every day,” Mr Joret added.

“However, without rapid recognition of the seriousness of the situation, a significant number of British farmers won’t survive to continue to ensure that one of the nation’s favourite home-produced foods is readily available on the table,” he ended.

The BEIC has written to the CEOs of the major UK retailers to communicate that, unless urgent action is taken in the next two weeks, the normal supply of British eggs to meet consumer demand is under severe threat.

In addition to farmers’ feed and pullet costs, the egg industry is also seeing other supply chain costs increase including transport, labour and packaging significantly adding to the cost of production.

Fuel costs continue to increase at record levels, impacting the whole supply chain, from delivery of feed stuffs right through to the delivery of a box of eggs ready for sale.

There are significant labour shortages in a wide range of industry roles; on farm, in packing stations and egg processing plants.

This has led to significant wage inflation, which will also increase with the rise in the National Minimum Wage.