Supermarket giants Asda and Lidl limit egg sales amid supply disruption

16 November 2022, 20:46

Supermarket giants Asda and Lidl limit egg sales amid supply disruption
Supermarket giants Asda and Lidl limit egg sales amid supply disruption. Picture: LBC / Alamy

By Tim Dodd

Asda and Lidl are limiting how many boxes of eggs customers, as supplies are hit by disruptions caused by bird flu and rising costs.

Asda is limiting egg sales to two boxes of each and while Lidl is restricting customers in some stores to three boxes.

Waitrose said it had not introduced any curbs on sales, but was “continuing to monitor customer demand”.

Other major retailers including Morrisons, Marks & Spencer, Co-op and Tesco have reassured shoppers that they were not limiting sales and continued to receive good supplies.

The shortages come as the UK faces its largest ever bout of bird flu, with a highly pathogenic variant of the virus circulating.

Birdkeepers have had to keep their animals housed and separate from other animals to reduce the spread since early November.

Read more: Dominic Raab says he’s ‘behaved professionally throughout’ as he faces investigation over bullying complaints

Read more: Men killed by missile attack in Poland four miles from Ukrainian border as west blames Putin for starting rocket blitz

In the event of a confirmed outbreak on an egg or poultry farm, all the birds in the area affected are killed, resulting in fewer eggs to send to supermarkets.

There are already shortages caused by producers reducing their output or leaving the industry entirely due to increased costs, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine pushing up farmers’ energy bills and the cost of hens, packaging and chicken feed.

At the same time demand for eggs is up, with consumers seeking out cheaper ways to get protein in their diets as food bills soar.

An Asda spokesman said: “We are working hard with our suppliers to resolve the industry challenges which are currently affecting all supermarkets, and to make sure as many customers as possible can buy eggs we have introduced a temporary limit of two boxes per customer.”

The British Retail Consortium (BRC), which represents supermarkets, said bird flu was causing some disruption to supply.

The BRC’s director of food and sustainability, Andrew Opie, said: “While avian flu has disrupted the supply of some egg ranges, retailers are experts at managing supply chains and are working hard to minimise impact on customers.

“Some stores have introduced temporary limits on the number of boxes customers can buy to ensure availability for everyone.

“Furthermore, retailers have long-standing, established relationships with their suppliers and know how important maintaining these are for their customers and businesses.

“Supermarkets source the vast majority of their food from the UK and know they need to pay a sustainable price to egg farmers but are constrained by how much additional cost they can pass onto consumers during a cost-of-living crisis.”

The British Free Range Egg Producers Association (BFREPA) said avian flu has compounded availability issues, with the disease resulting in the compulsory culling of hundreds of thousands of egg-laying hens across colony, barn and free-range systems.

There were approximately 36.7 million egg-laying birds in the national flock, but there was capacity on farms for more than 44 million hens.

However, the association has also been raising concerns about retailers failing to pay farmers a fair price for months.

Figures revealed that the average price of a dozen eggs has risen by about 50p in supermarkets but some farmers had only seen a rise of between 5p and 10p.

In March, the association called on all retailers to raise the price paid to farmers by 40p per dozen.

On Wednesday, it said it had asked Sainsbury’s for an urgent meeting after the retailer confirmed it was stocking eggs imported from Italy.

BFREPA chief executive Robert Gooch said: “We have been warning for months that failing to pay farmers a price which allows them to make a profit would result in mass de-stocking or, worse still, an exodus from the industry.

“Seeing Italian eggs on the shelves is a wake-up call to all retailers that they can’t expect farmers to work for nothing. Enough is enough.

“I will be writing to Sainsbury’s today to ask for a meeting to discuss how we forge a more sustainable future for egg producers. Sainsbury’s has made strong commitments to British free-range egg producers in the past and I hope a positive dialogue can bring about change from what is a disappointing situation.”

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

Breaking
Breaking News

British couple found dead in south of France home being ‘treated as murder-suicide’

Kerri Pegg, former governor of HMP Kirkham,

Prison governor denies relationship with drug boss 'Jesse Pinkman' after flip flops carrying his DNA found in her flat

Julie Goodyear

Julie Goodyear's husband removes rare photo of Coronation Street star after dementia diagnosis amid blacklash

The vehicle was later extinguished after the driver, covered in flames, emerged from the vehicle.

Amsterdam Dam Square car explosion sees driver engulfed in flames - just days after mass stabbing

Kanye West confirms that him and Bianca Censori have split.

Kanye West confirms split from wife Bianca Censori as rapper claims she 'tried to have me committed'

d

Pictured: US tourist arrested for sailing to remote island and leaving a can of Coke for world's most isolated tribe

The female athlete took a knee instead of competing against a transgender athlete in a fencing tournament.

Fencing row erupts as US athlete takes knee instead of competing against transgender athlete

Luton Airport

Luton Airport expansion plans approved by transport secretary despite environmental concerns

police officer uk jacket

Boy, 15, locked up after stabbing girl, 13, with sword and leaving her to die by side of motorway

The UK's charity watchdog has launched a probe into Prince Harry’s Sentebale charity

Prince Harry breaks silence as he attacks 'blatant lies' amid investigation into Sentebale charity

M5 closed in both directions after body found on motorway sparking police investigation

M5 closed in both directions after body found on motorway sparking police investigation

Lucy

Expert panel claims 'no criminal offences committed' in Lucy Letby case after bombshell new report into baby deaths

The Sentinelese are a pre-Neolithic tribe that rejects contact with the modern world

US tourist arrested for sailing to remote island and leaving a can of Coke for the world's most isolated tribe to try

Full runners and riders confirmed for Saturday's Grand National

Grand National 2025 runners and riders confirmed as full 34-horse line-up revealed

Exclusive
Sophie Bannister and April-Levi Whalley have posted celebratory social media posts after dodging jail for drug smuggling

'Can't wait to enjoy our summer': Drug smuggling best friends celebrate after avoiding jail time

The Trump administration has been ridiculed after imposing tariffs on uninhabited islands

'No one is safe, not even the penguins': Trump administration ridiculed after imposing tariffs on uninhabited islands