Farmers have said that any shortages of eggs on supermarket shelves are due to producers not being paid enough, reports RTE.
The Irish Farmers’ Association said producers have been warning retailers and egg packers that farmgate prices are not financially sustainable to meet increasing demand, reports RTE.
Retailers have not reported widespread shortages, although Tesco said sales of fresh eggs have risen by a double-digit percentage over the past year.
At present, egg producers receive an average of about €1.52 per dozen from retailers and packers, but the IFA is seeking an increase to €1.75 per dozen, reports RTE.
A dozen standard medium-sized free-range eggs typically costs just over €4 in supermarkets, with barn eggs priced at roughly €1 less per dozen.
IFA Poultry Chair Brendan Soden said farmers have “sought an increase of 2 cent an egg for free-range and organic production, and 1 cent an egg for barn eggs.”, reports RTE.
“This must be ring-fenced and returned directly to all egg producers. Under the right financial conditions, they are more than willing to meet this growing demand for Irish eggs,” Mr Soden added, reports RTE.
The IFA said the requested increases reflect rising production costs over the past four years, reports RTE.
Mr Soden said farmers have put forward several proposals aimed at improving financial stability for producers, but claimed these have not been acted upon.
He added: “Egg production is a high-risk sector, with the threat of avian flu always in the background. Many free-range producers (who are receiving little to no premium for free range) are weighing up whether the risk is worth it,” reports RTE.
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