Latest Breaking News Online News Portal
A study carried out by The Grocer has shown that the price of eggs has increased by 56.3 percent since October last year. Eggs are much more expensive in some supermarkets than they were just a few months ago.
The cost of eggs in Tesco, Lidl, Iceland, Waitrose, and Aldi has risen, according to The Grocer.
In one supermarket, a pack of six eggs has increased in price from £1.70 to £2.50.
Compared to this time last year, the cost of eggs in the UK has increased a whopping 33.5 percent, on average.
But looking at the price of eggs in some supermarkets, the product has increased a huge 56.3 percent since October 2022 – just four months ago.
Although the rising cost of eggs has a negative impact on consumers, it is good news for farmers.
Last November, one of the reasons why UK supermarkets were faced with a shortage of eggs – a shortage that still exists in some supermarkets – was because retailers were not paying farmers fairly.
British farmers claimed their pay needed to be increased due to the rising costs of hen feed and fuel bills. These soared last year following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
A spokesperson for the British Free Range Egg Producers Association said at the time: “It’s very hard to predict but we can certainly see [shortages] lasting until after Christmas.”
The spokesperson added that a third of its members had cut back on production or left the industry because they couldn’t cover the costs needed to produce eggs.
Andrew Opie, the direcror of food sustainability at the British Retail Consortium also commented.
He said: “Supermarkets source the vast majority of their food from the UK and know they need to pay a sustainable price to egg farmers but are constrained by how much additional cost they can pass on to consumers during a cost-of-living crisis.”
Andrew Joret, chair of the British Egg Industry Council, added at the time: “While we expect supply to return to normal once cost pressures ease, we don’t know when this will be, and egg packers and producers continue to lose money.
READ MORE: Princess Beatrice’s body is ‘stronger as a result’ of having a baby
Another reason why egg supplies have been running low in the UK was the outbreak of bird flu. Free-range egg and poultry producers brought their animals inside last November to protect them from the disease.
The Government’s guidance, from the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, reads: “Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) is in an avian influenza prevention zone (AIPZ). By law you must follow the hygiene and disease prevention rules. This is to prevent bird flu and stop it spreading.
“In England and Wales you must house your birds to protect them from bird flu. In Scotland you may be in a disease control zone with housing measures.
“The main causes of bird flu in poultry and other captive birds are contact with: wild birds, in particular waterfowl such as geese, ducks and swans and gulls, faeces from infected birds, and dirty footwear, clothing and vehicles and equipment.
“You can speak to your vet about the specific risks to your birds. They can give you advice about practical things you can do to reduce the risk of disease.”
