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THE PRICE OF EGGS could rocket by between 20 and 30 per cent in the coming weeks – and lead to increased costs for Christmas foods as well as other products like ice cream and pasta.
The Irish Egg Association says the enforcement of a new European Union directive on the types of cages that can be used to accommodate hens has made a significant dent in the supply of eggs on the continent.
And while supply of eggs in Ireland has not been affected, thanks to government grants to replace any outdated cages, supplies in Europe have been cut as producers simply go out of business instead of investing money in a business where profits are falling.
IEA secretary Eoin Brooke told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that increased prices in feed had already meant the production of eggs was become less profitable, especially when combined with falling retail prices.
With a shortage of eggs on the continent, it is now possible that Irish producers will opt to export their stocks of eggs to countries where they can command a higher sales price – and leave Ireland with a significantly reduced price.
Spain was one key example – where official EU estimates indicated an 8 per cent fall in egg production, but where “there are estimates that they’re down by 20 per cent at the moment – and Spain is a major producer and exporter.
“We expect prices in this country to go up at least 20 per cent, maybe 30 per cent, over the coming weeks,” he said, explaining that 8 per cent of Spanish egg output would be 1.5 times larger than the entire Irish market.
In some areas on the continent, he added, prices were already up by around two-thirds – but those increases paled in comparison to the increase of prices for processed egg products used in industrial baking.
“There will be massive shortages of eggs, and the prices will come through… there will be a shortage of dried and processed eggs for the bakery sector.”
Northern Ireland, where supplies are being hit because of the new EU rules, is a particularly large user of industrial eggs as it supplies baked goods to the Republic and to mainland Britain – but producers there, Brooks said, were now paying the same price for industrial quantities of eggs as retail purchasers would have faced before Christmas.
This could mean an increase in the price of ice creams, sandwiches and pastas, he said, as well as hitting the price of Christmas-specific foods which would begin production from mid-summer.
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If you’ve got any space at all, buy some chickens. We’ve 2 who lay almost every day. Their stupidity is great entertainment and they are easy to keep.
I love that comment! I agree. Watched the hens in my brothers garden and got more entertainment from them than anything on tv!
Ya might save €160 on tv license too so!
If it means the hens have better quality of life then I don’t mind paying eggstra…
(sorry)
an eggscellent pun there Ailis!
You shouldn’t make light of this, it’s eggstremely worrying news :)
My God, what about Easter eggs? :-)
Yes, that is my major economic worry at the moment: how much more expensive Christmas foods are going to be.
Who knew that turkey and ham were made of eggs?
Well, admittedly, they do contain less eggs than christmas cake, christmas pudding or mince pies, but I see your point…
Indeed. Why should we be worried about the cost of Christmassy baked goods in March?
Eggxactly what we need instead of a rush for the must have toy, we will have all out war in the egg section of the supermarket as the crowds go wild to get their hands on the latest farm fresh chicken turd.
Egg – heads !!!!
It’s not a chicken turd, it’s a chicken ovulation – or period for want of a better description..
#protip: Flax works as a good substitute for eggs in baking.
Keep your own hens.
Even a small garden will hold half a dozen hens.
Anyone that has produced their own eggs will know the difference in taste and quality.
Egg-xactly
@Stray Mutt – Any issues with rats, small garden in residential estate…always told that the hens would attract rats into the garden
Put down some loose grit in an area for them to scratch and did, the feckers love ripping in to the ground otherwise.
Regarding Rats. In a city you are never more than 5 yards away from a Rat. I know urbanites that have no trouble with their hens and vermin.
Cracking story
Sorry, how much will be have to shell out for eggs now?
Can see it now Noonan,Gilroy and Kenny will start to lay eggs , Hogan will just be passing crap with varadkar along side wiping the butts and all because the Troika have insisted that they make up for the shortage 3.1 billion eggs to be laid for xmas
Yeah you might be right there Kieran! after all,They’ve all proved themselves to be nothing more than chickens!
So the government (ie the egg buying public) paid for their new cages, there is no shortage here, but they intend to take 30% more from us. Sounds familiar.
Many egg producers simply closed down, as it was too costly to convert existing (eggsisting!!!) premises.
There was more involved than simply replacing cages.
Some of the people that complain about the price of eggs now will have been campaigning for better conditions for animals. Better conditions are proper order but don’t complain because of it!
So we’ll be selling eggs to Europe at an inflated rate?! Let the revenge begin, so Angela Merkel, it’s eggs you’d be wanting huh? We’ll have a full write down on bank debt mwhaha!
I am impressed that there is an Irish Egg Association dealing with such hard boiled issues
Don’t buy eggs. Get lovely fresh eggs from my mother. She has three hens in the garden . They are very funny birds and really tame .
Jesus! Don’t do that! Thought you were reporting on the price of Easter Eggs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok ….. Come in people..!!!! Enough of the egg jokes …… Otherwise you will be Egg-terminated
The EU are intent on putting every small business or farm out of business and drive the cost of food up. Shop locally for eggs if there is anyone left in business. How can anyone possibly keep up with the constant barage of EU directives being enFORCEd upon us.
Ten days ago I bought half dozen eggs in Tesco for 99c – yesterday the same product cost €1.19. Thought it was one of their sly gimmicks but maybe just this once I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt.
I dunno,seems fair an-oeuf.
Comment of the week for @Mr Nedmund for his multilingual pun.
Why… surely if you buy free range eggs it shouldn’t make a difference
That what I was wondering..
Although, I’ve notice the shell integrity of free range eggs is getting worse.. Apparently this is a sign that they aren’t getting enough calcium..
The numbers of reported egging’s is gonna plummet on the breaking if this news, ha ha
That will put a stop to the abuse of eggs at Halloween.It will also raise the price of all produce that has eggs in them . It is about time that they did something about the hens that were in Crowded cages that was not right. There is nothing like the Free Range Egg.
there are a few wise eggs on here
It this just not a case of the egg people trying to get in on the act and saying well if the ESB,the banks etc …( And every other group of Fu *kers that have put their price up in the last two years ) , if they can do it why cant we!
Major announcement – eggs will be more expensive from now on !
HAVING WATCHED A VIDEO ON THE CONDITIONS THAT HENS ARE KEPT IN AND THE WAY THEY ARE TREATED ,I NOW CHECK TO ENSURE THEY ARE NOT EGGS FROM CAGED HENS .I WOULD ONLY BUY FREE RANGE REGARDLESS OF PRICE !!!!!
Your post was egg-cruciatingly painful to read, ARE YOUR CAPS LOCK ON?
Well I didn’t see that video and only buy free range. Also you over did it with caps lock but I must admit, recently the price of eggs has gone up noticeably.
This is an issue for Tim Henman!
That is a clucking load of b****x
we have our own hens, 6 of them and every day about 5/6 eggs. because its just the two of us we give them away to neigbours and get from them things like hay for our two goats or they babysit when we on hols.
everybody can keep hens, they are nice, funny and very useful ! no eggs anymore ? then in the oven, and because you raised them yourself you know what they have been feeding on !
we must all get back to be as selfsufficient as possible.
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