Egg shortages hit the supermarkets

REPORTS THAT SOME STORES ARE RATIONING

SUPERMARKETS and restaurants across the UK are starting to act as Brits are warned of an egg shortage.

Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Lidl are among shops to displaying signs in stores warning of supply issues. A Lidl branch has already brought in rationing, with a limit of three egg boxes per customer, according to a picture posted online.

Pub chain Wetherspoons has also warned customers that the “temporary supply issues” may mean its breakfast menu is altered in some pubs. It comes as the price of a box of a dozen eggs has already risen by more than 22 per cent, according to official figures.

Last year, the UK produced 11.3 billion eggs and had to import another 1.4 billion to meet demand.

Farmers are being hit by rising prices and an outbreak of bird flu. The British Free Range Egg Producers Association (BFREPA) told the BBC farmers were being squeezed by the price of chicken feed – which has spiked due to the Ukraine war – and sky-high energy costs.

Its members claim they have only received between 5p and 10p more despite the price of a dozen eggs rising by about 45p in the supermarkets since March.

BFREPA said in a statement: “Feeding hens is now at least 50 per cent more expensive than it was, and energy prices have soared in the same way that consumers have seen their domestic bills rise. Spending on fuel has grown by 30 per cent, while labour and packaging also costs more.”

A recent survey of 163 farmers affiliated with the BFREPA show 33 per cent have already reduced or stopped their egg production. Farmers are also suffering following the biggest ever outbreak of avian influenza, which has resulted in millions of birds being culled or killed.

However, the Department Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has denied there are any supply chain issues.

A spokesman said: “We understand the difficulties the bird flu outbreak is causing for farmers, however the laying hen population is approximately 38 million, so it’s unlikely to affect the overall supply.”

Shoppers have been sharing photos from in stores, showing bare shelves where eggs should be. One Tesco customer posted an image on Twitter showing signs that read: “Due to the hot summer we are currently experiencing low availability across our egg range. Sorry for any inconvenience.”

Another photo posted from inside a Sainsbury’s showed a sign that read: “We are currently experiencing supply issues across our fresh egg range. We are working hard to resolve these and apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

Similarly, an Aldi shopper tweeted: “Have you stopped selling fresh eggs online because of bird flu? I could not add any to my click and collect order. I will have to buy them from somewhere else now separately.”

Another said: “I shan’t be shopping at your store any more. A lot of the shelves were bare. No eggs again.”

And one Lidl customer asked: “Why have you no eggs in your stores?”