Egg sector is still in crisis as housing order is lifted
MILLIONS of free range and organic hens will be allowed outside again after months of avian flu restrictions, but poultry farmers have warned that the future of the sector remains bleak.
The UK’s chief veterinary officer, Christine Middlemiss, confirmed this week that mandatory housing measures, which were introduced across the UK last November to help stop the spread of the H5N1 virus, will be lifted on Monday, May 2.
Poultry and other captive birds will no longer need to be housed, unless they are in a Protection Zone, and will be allowed to roam freely outside, the Government adds.
In accordance with EU marketing legislation, all eggs from free range and organic flocks have been relabelled as barn eggs since March 21.
Sector leaders have welcomed the lifting of housing restrictions, but warned that egg producers are still at breaking point because of soaring production costs.
Robert Gooch, chief executive of the British Free Range Egg Producers Association (BFREPA), said: “It’s really good news that shoppers will soon have free range eggs available on the shelves, and British farmers are extremely grateful to consumers for continuing to buy eggs from these flocks even though they have been temporarily re-classified as barn eggs.
“But while it’s a relief to my members, lifting the housing order does not solve the crisis facing the egg sector.
“It will not remove the huge hikes in energy, transport, feed and labour costs they are experiencing.
“The picture is bleak – a recent survey of our members suggested 51% of free range and organic egg farmers were considering exiting the industry. Even just a small number
It will not remove the huge hikes in energy, transport, feed and labour costs they are experiencing ROBERT GOOCH
coming out of egg production would lead to shortages, which we predict will come later this year.”
The BFREPA has already stressed that rising inflation costs are having “devastating consequences” on free range egg production in the UK and is likely to result in a “mass exodus” of the industry – unless retailers increase the costs of eggs in store, and pass that down to farmers.
The organisation, which has around 600 members who keep between them over 16 million hens, is campaigning for a rise of at least 40p per dozen to be implemented immediately – 80p per dozen for organic eggs – and has written to the eight major food retailers in the UK to act before businesses go bust.
Mr Gooch said that Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Aldi, Lidl, Marks and Spencer and Waitrose are “all culpable” for the current crisis, and that they are the only ones in the supply chain who can make a real difference.
The BFREPA has called a crisis summit for Tuesday, May 10, and invited representatives from each retailer to attend to discuss how to resolve the issue.