Supermarkets face scramble for eggs as bird flu spreads

SUPERMARKETS could face a shortage of eggs as bird flu sweeps the UK, says farmers.

Avian flu, rising costs and the war in Ukraine have created a “genuine threat” to the industry, meaning some have paused production.

Ashford, Kent, and Bristol are among areas with empty egg shelves.

“There is grave concern,” said Ben Pike, of the British Free Range Egg Producers Association (BFREPA).

“There are fewer eggs available this year. I don’t know where retailers will get them from. As for the farmers, it’s upsetting, as the production is now completely out of their control.”

The cost of buying a flock, around 32,000 hens, has increased by 15 per cent. Cost of feed is up 50 per cent and labour costs have risen by 7 per cent.

Farmers were pausing production and not restocking flocks amid the financial pressures, said Mr Pike, with the average BFREPA farmer losing £10 per hen. In a survey of 157 BFREPA farmers, 33 per cent said they had reduced or stopped their egg production because of unsustainable losses.