While there is currently sufficient availability, sources at the chain said that although they currently have enough eggs, a dividend distribution would be considered if the situation worsens. Shoppers posting on social media reported empty shelves in Tesco and Sainsbury’s stores across the country. Asda and Lidl branches currently limit customers to two boxes of eggs each, while other supermarkets source eggs from other countries, including Italy. The British Retail Consortium, which represents supermarkets, said it was impossible to say how long the shortages would last or how severe they would become. Andrew Opie, BRC director of food and sustainability, added: “While bird flu has disrupted the supply of some egg ranges, retailers are experts at managing supply chains and are working hard to minimize the impact on customers. Some stores have temporarily introduced limits on the number of boxes customers can buy to ensure availability for everyone.” The UK is battling its biggest ever outbreak of bird flu, with a highly pathogenic strain circulating. A very small amount of virus causes severe disease in birds and is often fatal. Since early November, bird keepers have been required to keep their animals indoors and away from wildlife to reduce the spread. When there is a confirmed outbreak on a poultry or egg farm, all birds in the affected area are destroyed. This means there are fewer chickens and fewer eggs in the supply chain, with egg supply particularly affected at the moment. Egg producers have warned that shortages are likely to worsen. The British Association of Free-Range Egg Producers said: “Many of our members are losing money on every egg laid and our data shows that even those who make a small profit do not see a long-term future. “Fewer hens means fewer eggs and we warned in March that eggs could be in short supply by Christmas. In addition, the bird flu resulted in the killing of egg-producing hens.” They are also asking Sainsbury’s for an urgent meeting after the retailer confirmed it is stocking eggs imported from Italy. Robert Gooch, Chief Executive of BFREPA, said: “We have been warning for months that failure to pay farmers a price that allows them to make a profit would lead to mass hoarding or, even worse, an exit from the industry.” Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. They added that due to farmers going out of business and the impact of bird flu, 227,350 free-range, 24,000 organic and 447,000 caged birds had been lost since October 1 – more than 743,000 this season. In the 2021 season, 1.8 million chickens were lost. Another important issue affecting egg supply is the price of breeding. Feed and housing costs have soared, but supermarkets are not matching these increases in their payments to suppliers. This has resulted in some egg producers going out of business. Sources at supermarket chain Waitrose appeared more optimistic about its egg supply than rivals. While they are “monitoring the situation,” they don’t expect shortages or rationing in the near future. Bird flu affects products throughout the supply chain. Oxo, the stockbroker, has warned that its free-range products are no longer that because chickens are housed inside. Packets of Oxo free-range chicken stock have a sticker that says “temporarily made using non-free-range stock”. Sainsbury’s has been approached for comment.
