Egg farmer explains reasons for supermarket egg shortages to James O'Brien

23 November 2022, 14:40

Ioan Humphreys explains egg production crisis to James O'Brien

By Jeremiah Eiholzer

Welsh Egg Farmer Ioan Humphreys explains reason behind egg shortage in supermarkets to James O'Brien

Costs for egg farmers have increased to make egg production unsustainable for egg farmers with current remuneration given by supermarkets, despite supermarkets increasing egg prices for consumers.

Welsh egg farmer Ioan Humphreys explained to James O'Brien how the current egg producers are no longer able to produce eggs at the same rates before the increased costs.

He explained this was because supermarkets are not paying egg producers enough to cover the increased production costs while still having raised prices for consumers.

"The prices for birds have gone up a pound a bird" Humphreys said.

He also went on to say that the price for bird feed has gone up "from £250 a ton to £400".

While speaking of the discrepancy, he stated "The average prices now for an egg producer to produce a dozen eggs is anywhere between £1.20 to £1.40, while getting paid only £1.09 for them from a supermarket."

Ioan highlighted how the 80'000 eggs behind him were produced and sold at a loss, but if he withheld sale of the eggs even at a loss, the loss he would take would be "catastrophic".

Ioan went on to say that "at the end of the day, we don't want to withhold eggs, we want to make eggs we just can't afford to" and that the only solution would be for "supermarkets to increase pay for egg farmers" because currently it is simply unsustainable for them to keep producing at a loss.

He concluded that "egg producers are gonna have to have a lot more sit-downs to negotiate a fairer price" to make egg production more sustainable.

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