U.K. egg shortage has stores placing purchase limits. Is Canada next? – National | 24CA News
An egg scarcity within the United Kingdom has Britons scrambling to search out the beloved meals staple on retailer cabinets.
The U.Ok. is coping with an enormous outbreak of avian flu and is seeing many instances on business farms, impacting egg provide and in addition elevating considerations of rooster and turkey shortages for the vacations.
Canada can be coping with hen flu instances, so are eggs susceptible to operating quick?
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“I don’t think Canadians should be concerned. I think there will be plenty of eggs for the holidays,” mentioned Sylvain Charlebois, director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University.
“The big variable is the avian flu. We don’t know exactly how the flu will impact barns across the country.”
What’s occurring in Britain?
Eggs have been onerous to search out as of late at British supermarkets, with trade warnings that the shortages could final past Christmas, the BBC and The Guardian just lately reported.
As a consequence, grocers have imposed limits on what number of eggs prospects can purchase to protect stock.
The British Retail Consortium informed BBC News there have been a number of components influencing the egg market, together with the avian flu, provide points and manufacturing prices.
About 2.3 million birds have died or been culled since October, the BBC reported on Dec. 1, which may impression egg manufacturing if chickens are being culled too. The present hen flu outbreak is the biggest on report within the U.Ok.
Avian influenza, typically referred to as hen flu, is a virus that infects birds. Outbreaks in business hen services most frequently happen when migratory birds carrying the illness come into contact with poultry.
The British Free Range Egg Producers Association (BFREPA) informed The Guardian on Nov. 17 that egg shortages are additionally as a result of retailers not paying a “sustainable price” to farmers. Their hen feed prices have shot up 50 per cent since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which is a serious international grain producer, and gas payments have jumped 40 per cent, the outlet reported.
A BFREPA spokesperson informed Reuters on Nov. 15 the trade is down 743,350 layers this season, as “a huge number of them are losing a significant amount of money and can’t afford to produce eggs anymore.”
A BFREPA spokesperson informed The Guardian it was onerous to foretell how lengthy the shortages would keep it up, however they see them persevering with into the Christmas holidays. The BBC reported that British Environment Secretary Therese Coffey mentioned the federal government is assured the nation will get by the problem within the quick time period, as there are practically “40 million egg-laying hens available.”
“There’s a lot of feuding going on right now in the U.K. In addition to that, you have the avian flu also impacting production and farms over in the U.K., which is actually the same thing in Canada. But the regime in the U.K. is much different,” Charlebois mentioned.
“All farmers are left to figure things out on their own, whereas in Canada with our supply management regime, farmers are guaranteed a price no matter what. If the cost of production goes up, they’re properly compensated as a result. The system is very different, and as a country, we do have some autonomy when it comes to egg production.”
Is there an egg scarcity in Canada?
Currently, there is no such thing as a egg scarcity in Canada, mentioned Tim Lambert, CEO of Egg Farmers of Canada, in an emailed assertion to Global News.
Canadian egg manufacturing occurs throughout the nation, permitting farmers to work collectively to take care of the home provide of eggs, he mentioned.
If there’s an avian flu outbreak impacting one area, egg manufacturing might be elevated in different provinces to maintain provide balanced and make up potential gaps.
Furthermore, he mentioned, as Canadian eggs are sometimes produced on small household farms, there’s much less of an impression of avian flu on the general provide of eggs.
“However, it is important to note that avian influenza currently affects less than two per cent of the Canadian egg supply,” he mentioned.
“For these reasons and more, there is no egg shortage in Canada, and we continue to work with our supply chain to navigate the natural demand cycle for eggs, which typically peaks during the November and December months of the year.”
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Avian flu places strain on producers, customers
The unfold of avian flu has “been a concern,” this yr, Charlebois mentioned. Specifically in British Columbia, farmers within the Fraser Valley have been going through “intense disease pressure” from the avian flu in business farms that the agriculture minister says is regarding.
Avian flu outbreaks in Canada have had monumental financial tolls prior to now. In 2004, 19 million poultry have been culled on account of outbreaks in B.C.
As of Nov. 30, 795,700 birds have been impacted by the avian flu, federal authorities knowledge exhibits. In Canada, 4,215,100 birds have been impacted up to now.
The avian flu and better feed prices for farmers are being mirrored within the value of merchandise at Canadian grocery shops, Charlebois mentioned.
“All of that inventory is not reaching the market, so obviously you’re seeing poultry prices go up and egg prices also are going up,” Charlebois mentioned.
“They’ve increased by 15 or 16 per cent so far this year, and we’re expecting more increases down the road. But in terms of access, I don’t think Canadians should be concerned. They’ll be plenty of eggs at the store waiting for them.”
— with recordsdata from The Canadian Press
