Egg supply issues emerging in UK

Farmers are having to consider stopping egg production when their current flocks come to an end due to disputes with supermarkets over how much they pay for their eggs.

Due to the soaring cost of chicken feed, grains, corn and energy used in the production process farmers have reached the point where they are barely breaking even. The industry body says it has had no success from requests to supermarkets asking them to pay more for their eggs and in turn, passing the increase onto shoppers.

Robert Gooch, chief executive officer of the trade group, said: “There are clear and obvious cost increases being heaped upon farmers, and retailers simply aren’t sufficiently adjusting the retail price. Any increases being made are too little and too slow"

In an attempt to continue advertising cheap food prices supermarkets are not adjusting their prices in line with inflation and the primary producers are suffering the brunt of it.

Since early 2020 inflation has been rising rapidly for several reasons. The lockdowns and restrictions hit the supply chain hard when delivery drivers and other workers in the industry couldn't go to work. The printing of more money to pay for things like furlough payments has de-valued the British Pound and the more recent rise in oil prices has meant that fuel prices have sky rocketed. This rise in fuel costs has made everything that is delivered by train or truck cost more.

If Supermarkets don't pay more for their eggs the farmers may have to stop producing them altogether.