Avoid cracks in egg supply

Egg farmers are calling on Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty to avoid egg shortages and price hikes by deferring a phase-out of conventional cage eggs.

On Thursday, a joint meeting of federal and state agriculture ministers endorsed an updated version of the Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Poultry, but pushed a decision on when to phase out conventional cage egg production to each state.

Farmers had warned the egg industry could not afford to stop conventional cage egg production before 2046 without causing supply shortages and subsequent price spikes. 

NSW Farmers Egg Committee chair Brett Langfield said an early ban on caged eggs in New Zealand had smashed consumers, leading to scarcity on supermarket shelves and prices of $15 for a dozen eggs.

“Eggs are an affordable and nutritious product enjoyed by most families, and with so many families doing it tough at the moment the last thing we need is anything that will make food more expensive,” Mr Langfield said.

“Australian farmers and consumers are slowly transitioning away from cage eggs, free-range accounts for 47 per cent of supermarket sales now, but drastic market intervention would result in a supply crunch that will send prices soaring.

“Let’s not forget that eggs are a critical ingredient in cakes and pasta, not to mention so many other staples like chicken schnitzel, mayonnaise, pies, and fish fingers. It’s caged eggs that are often going into their production, so expect to see a flow-on effect of costs if businesses will be forking out more for free range.”

According to Australian Eggs, conventional cage production made up 40 per cent of supermarket sales, but they were also used in a range of products from fish fingers and chicken schnitzel to mayonnaise and baked goods. NSW produced the highest proportion of eggs – 36 per cent of the national total – turning out 6.6 billion eggs in 2021-2022. 

With the decision on when to phase out conventional cage egg production now placed onto each state, Mr Langfield said the industry was uncertain about how that would impact pricing and supply.

“You cannot pull the rug out from under farmers and shift the goalposts, it will simply cripple their businesses,” Mr Langfield said.

“We would hope to see the NSW Government follow through on the stated position of Premier Chris Minns, who ruled out considering a ban on conventional cage egg production last month.

“An orderly transition away from conventional cage systems is already underway, and working with industry will prevent the need for a substantial financial package from government to help these businesses make the early transition.”