Shoppers report supermarket egg shortages while prices are on the rise

Supermarkets have been increasing their egg prices as shoppers are reporting empty shelves.

Shortages first hit towards the end of 2022 when producers cut back or left the industry altogether due to the soaring production costs.

The culling of chickens following an outbreak of bird flu has been another contributing factor.

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Despite some supermarkets choosing to import eggs from abroad - Sainsbury's came under fire for selling Italian eggs back in November - some are still struggling with shortages.

There were warnings it could happen, with the British Free Range Egg Producers’ Association (BFREPA), last year calling for more support for egg producers saying that unless producers received 40p more per dozen eggs, some would leave the industry or pause production.

Prices have since risen, but the industry says that money isn't always being passed on to the farmers and in many ways is 'too little too late'.

It leaves customers not only finding it harder to get hold of eggs, but having to pay a lot more for them when they are in stock.

"I used to buy them on my weekly shop at Asda, but now I'm lucky if there are any left," said one shopper. "If they do have any left it's always the most expensive ones which I can't always afford. Some of them are extortionate."

Our own weekly price check of groceries has seen bare shelves at Lidl over a number of weeks now and shoppers tell us it's the same elsewhere.

BFREPA says a number of major retailers have increased their prices over the last month, particularly on large free range eggs. Asda recently raised the cost of 12 large free range eggs to £2.85, an increase of 30p since December, while Lidl and Morrisons