7 Nov 2022

Tough times for egg lovers and farmers

From Nine To Noon, 9:05 am on 7 November 2022
Caged hens, Italy.

Photo: AFP

Eggs were once a cheap and cheerful way to fill your supermarket trolley, but prices have skyrocketed - up more than eleven percent on a year ago.

For egg producers it's been a perfect storm of challenges.

Not only has the cost of feed increased due to the war in Ukraine, but many have shelled out hundreds of thousands of dollars transitioning their farms ahead of next month's deadline to stop battery cage egg production.

The national laying hen flock has declined putting a squeeze on supply and many supermarkets have said they won't take alternative colony farmed eggs from 2025.

So how ready is the industry for the changeover to battery cage-free farming and will the price of eggs keep on rising?

Kathryn speaks to the Executive Director of the Poultry Industry Association Michael Brooks and the Ministry for Primary Industries' National Manager Animal Welfare Compliance Peter Hyde.