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An egg shortage in the United Kingdom has left Britons scrambling to find the beloved food staple on store shelves.
The UK is dealing with a widespread outbreak of avian flu and is seeing many cases on commercial farms, affecting egg supplies and also raising concerns about a shortage of chickens and turkeys for the holidays.
Canada is also dealing with a case of bird flu, so is there a risk of egg shortages?
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Bird flu raises egg prices worldwide as Ukraine war disrupts shipments
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Bird flu raises egg prices worldwide as Ukraine war disrupts shipments
“I don’t think Canadians should worry. I think there will be plenty of eggs for the holidays,” said Sylvain Charlebois, director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University.
“The big variable is avian flu. We don’t know how the flu will affect barns across the country.
What’s going on in Britain?
The BBC and The Guardian recently reported that eggs are hard to find in British supermarkets of late, with industry warnings that shortages could last beyond Christmas.
As a result, grocers have imposed limits on how many eggs customers can buy to conserve inventory.
The British Retail Consortium told BBC News that there are many factors influencing the egg market, including avian flu, supply issues and production costs.
About 2.3 million birds have died or been killed since October, the BBC reported on December 1, which could affect egg production if hens are also killed. The current bird flu outbreak is the largest on record in the UK
Avian influenza, sometimes called bird flu, is a virus that infects birds. Outbreaks in commercial poultry facilities often occur when migratory birds carrying the disease come into contact with poultry.
The British Free Range Egg Producers Association (BFREPA) told The Guardian on November 17 that egg shortages are also due to retailers not paying farmers a “sustainable price”. The outlet reported that their chicken feed costs have increased by 50 percent since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a major global grain producer, and fuel bills have increased by 40 percent.
A BFREPA spokesperson told Reuters on November 15 that the industry is down to 743,350 layers this season, as “a large number of them are losing significant amounts and they can no longer produce eggs.”
A BFREPA spokesperson told The Guardian that it is difficult to predict how long the shortage will continue, but they see it continuing into the Christmas holidays. The BBC reported that British Environment Secretary Therese Coffey said the government was confident the nation would overcome the crisis in the short term, as there were about “40 million egg-laying hens available.”
“In addition to the fact that there is a lot of strife going on in the UK right now, you have the avian flu that is also affecting production and farms in the UK, which is really the same as in Canada. But the regime in the UK is very different,” Charlebois said.
“All farmers are left to find things on their own, whereas with our supply management regime in Canada, farmers are guaranteed a price, no matter what it is. If the price of the product increases, they get a fair compensation as a result. The system is very different, and as a country, we have little autonomy when it comes to egg production.
Is there an egg shortage in Canada?
Currently, there is no shortage of eggs in Canada, said Tim Lambert, CEO of Egg Farmers of Canada, in an emailed statement to Global News.
Canadian egg production takes place across the country, which allows farmers to work together to maintain a local supply of eggs, he said.
If there is an outbreak of avian flu affecting one region, egg production can be increased in other provinces to balance supply and fill potential gaps.
In addition, he said, Canadian eggs are generally produced on small family farms, so the impact of avian flu on the overall supply of eggs is minimal.
“However, it is important to note that avian influenza currently affects less than two per cent of the Canadian egg supply,” he said.
“For these reasons and more, there is no shortage of eggs in Canada, and we continue to work with our supply chain to navigate the natural demand cycle for eggs, which typically peaks in November and December of the year.”
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Avian flu puts pressure on producers, consumers
The spread of avian flu is “a matter of concern” this year, Charlebois said. In British Columbia in particular, farmers in the Fraser Valley are facing what the agriculture minister says is “intense disease pressure” from avian flu on commercial farms.
Avian flu outbreaks in Canada in the past have caused huge economic losses. In 2004, an outbreak in BC resulted in the killing of 19 million poultry
As of Nov. 30, 795,700 birds have been affected by avian flu, federal government data shows. In Canada, 4,215,100 birds have been affected so far.
Avian flu and higher feed costs for farmers are reflected in prices of produce at Canadian grocery stores, Charlebois said.
“Not all of that inventory is getting to market, so obviously you’re seeing poultry prices go up and egg prices go up,” Charlebois said.
“They’re up 15 or 16 percent so far this year, and we expect more increases down the road. But in terms of access, I don’t think Canadians should worry. They’ll have plenty of eggs waiting for them in the store.”
– With files from the Canadian Press
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