‘We have no certainty’: Australian egg crisis could be triggered
A countrywide phase out of caged eggs will be up for discussion at an agriculture ministers meeting this week, prompting fears of skyrocketing prices and mass shortages.
The country’s agricultural ministers will meet on Thursday to discuss the future of Australia’s egg industry with producers petrified a decision will be made to bring forward the phase out of caged eggs by 10 years to 2036, stoking fears that the price of eggs could then rise to $15 a carton as seen in New Zealand.
Egg farmers are expecting federal and state ministers to endorse an updated version of the Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Poultry, which recommends bringing the phase out forward from the industry supported date of 2046.
Industry bodies warn a faster phase out date will see egg prices skyrocket with nationwide egg shortages as currently conventional caged eggs make up 33 per cent of supermarket egg sales, with NSW providing 36 per cent of Australia’s eggs.
An early phase out in New Zealand saw the average price of a carton of six eggs rise to $7 with massive egg shortages across the country.
Additionally, egg producers have warned should conventional cages be phased out earlier, they would seek financial compensation from state and federal governments to help them transition early.
Owner of LPC Eggs Brett Langfield said the cost required to transition his farm to fully free range was around $20 million. The egg farm based in Young holds 680,000 chickens, 30 per cent of which are caged. Mr Langfield said it would cost him between $100-$150 per bird to transition.
Mr Langfield said the added expense is due to the increase in labour required to run a fully free range enterprise requiring three times the staff of cage farms. Additionally free range farms hold half the amount of birds, reducing egg producing capacity.
“We have no certainty about the future of our industry – we want some clarity about what we should be doing in the next 12 years,” Mr Langfield said.
“We don’t want to be in a situation where we need to import whole eggs because we can’t produce enough. We should never do that due to biosecurity reasons.
“I don’t believe the consumer is fully aware that their low cost protein source in eggs could substantially get more expensive based on decisions government’s make now.”
The Daily Telegraph understands the high tensions this issue causes could very well lead to the country’s agriculture ministers not making a firm decision regarding the future of the industry on Thursday.
NSW Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty declined to comment on the final position she would take at the meeting but it is understood multiple states may try to table a decision on the matter for a later date.
Opposition agriculture spokesman Dugald Saunders called for Ms Moriarty to come out with her position before the meeting.
“We can’t end up like New Zealand where they banned caged eggs and are now facing a supply crisis,” he said.
“A proposed ban would increase the price of eggs during a cost-of-living crisis and send egg farmers to the wall.”
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Originally published as ‘We have no certainty’: Australian egg crisis could be triggered