Stores rationing as egg shortage grips the UK
The environment secretary has declared she is confident “we can get through” the egg shortage gripping the UK, claiming there are nearly 14 million egg-laying hens in the country.
Therese Coffey’s comments came as Asda and Lidl limit the number of boxes of eggs customers can buy amid supply disruptions caused by rising costs and bird flu. Asda is limiting customers to two boxes of eggseach.lidlisrestrictingcustomers in some stores to three boxes, while Waitrose said it had not introduced any limits, butwas“continuingtomonitor customer demand”.
The environment secretary said she was aware of “what is happening in individual shelves”, but claimed retailers havenotyet“directly”contacted herdepartmenttoindicatesupply chains problems.
During Defra questions, Labourmpdanjarvisaskedms Coffey in the Commons: “Some supermarkets are now rationing eggs and ahead of Christmas, there’s real concern about the supply of turkeys.
“Avian influenza has meant that the British Free Range (Egg) Producers Association have said that a third of members have cut back on production, so, can the Secretary of State say what the Government isdoingtohelppoultryfarmers throughwhatisaverychallenging time?”
Ms Coffey replied: “The minister for food, farming and fishing [Mark Spencer] is meeting theindustryonaregularbasis,a weekly basis is my understanding. I think it’s fair to say retailers have not directly contacted thedepartmenttoindicatesupply chains … although I am conscious of what is happening in individual shelves.”
Labour later pressed Ms Coffey on what her plan was “if we face another disease outbreak”.
Shadow environment minister Daniel Zeichner told MPS: “Thisweek,thepublicaccounts Committee (PAC) highlighted what they described as a long period of inadequate management and underinvestment at
the Animal and Plant Health Agency Weybridge site, and warned that they would struggle if there was any concurrent disease outbreak.”
Ms Coffey said she has not yet read all of the PAC report as she was at the COP27 climate talks.
However,shesaid:“butireject theassertiontheymakethatour biosecurity is not being well done.”