Egg prices may rise as farmers reduce flock to meet escalating cost

Egg prices may spike soon as UK farmers have reduced their flock numbers, in response to escalating costs and insufficient profit margins.

According to The Guardian, latest government figures reveal that the numbers of chicks being placed by egg producers in April was down by 15 percent year on year. 

The government data, published on Thursday (19), confirms a decline in producers restocking their flocks with new birds. The number of eggs being set by hatcheries fell even further in April, down 35 percent on the previous year.

Although this reduction will not reflect immediately or in the coming couple of months through chicks’ life cycle, the overall flock population is expected to fall as hens are not replaced leading to shortage in supply and hence price rise.

The revelation comes after warnings from egg farmers that supermarkets are ignoring their demands of better prices as they deal with a “tidal wave” of rising costs in feed, energy, labour and packaging.

Commenting on the figures, Robert Gooch, chief executive of the British FreeRange Egg Producers Association, said that the data is showing “what we were predicting”.

“It’s showing what we were predicting, that there will be a shortage unless retailers respond by raising prices,” the report quoted Gooch as saying.

Gooch says producers need a 3p per egg price increase to forestall a much bigger price rise when supplies fall later this year.

“It’s a crisis for producers and it will translate into a crisis for consumers later this year,” said Gooch.

The latest data has emerged a few weeks after it was reported that farmers are calling for a rise in the prices of eggs, saying that the UK could face a shortage if retailers do not start paying more.

Andrew Joret, chairman of the British Egg Industry Council, said at the time that the “skyrocketing” price of chicken feed, along with rising energy costs, was having a “really, really severe” impact on farmers.

“This doesn’t imply a shortage in eggs tomorrow, but it does imply the national flock will go down in the future, and that is a major concern,” report quoted Joret.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said, “We recognise the challenges faced by the egg industry, including the ongoing impact of Avian Influenza and increased input costs – and are continuing to monitor the situation, working closely with stakeholders.”