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Coles is forced to hit shoppers with a buying limit on EGGS after Aussies scrambled to find them on the shelves – so what’s causing the shortage?
- A shortage of egg production has hit supermarkets around the country
- Coles have introduced a two carton limit per shop to all stores in Australia
- Egg producers culled their flocks due to a drop in demand and flocks remain low
- A NSW egg farmer told Daily Mail Australia the shortage could last until October
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Eggs are the latest product caught up in supply chain issues, with near-empty shelves at local supermarkets across the country, causing Coles to introduce a restriction on egg purchases.
Coles customers are now restricted to purchase a maximum of two cartons of eggs in one shop.
A Coles spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia they are continuing to monitor supplies and improve availability across all stores.
Eggs are the latest food product caught up in supply chain issues, with near-empty shelves at local supermarkets across the country leading to Coles introducing a restriction on egg purchases to a maximum of two cartons in one shop
‘We’re continuing to monitor supply and work hard with our suppliers to improve availability and will keep customers updated on any changes,’ the spokesperson said.
Coles have also introduced a limit of 2 boxes of tissues per shop as well.
A Woolworths spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia reduced production by egg farmers was responsible for the shortages but they are working hard with suppliers to increase the availability of eggs across their stores.
A Coles spokesperson said: ”We’re continuing to monitor supply and work hard with our suppliers to improve availability and will keep customers updated on any changes.’
‘The market-wide supply of locally produced eggs in some regions have recently been impacted by reduced production on a number of farms,’ a Woolworths spokesperson said.
‘While we continue to deliver eggs to our stores regularly, customers may notice reduced availability at the moment and we thank them for their patience and understanding.
‘We’re in close contact with our suppliers and are working to increase the availability of eggs in stores as soon as possible.’
Woolworths say eggs continue to be delivered into stores on a regular basis despite the market-wide supply being constrained.
NSW egg farmer, Brett Langfield, told Daily Mail Australia the shortage could last for months.
Mr Langfield said across NSW flocks are down around 10 per cent, partly as a Covid hangover.
He said demand for eggs was high during lockdowns but when people came out of lockdown, the demand for eggs dropped.
So farmers cut their flocks by around 20 per cent.
They haven’t yet recovered to full numbers and farmers ‘lack confidence’ that boosting flocks will be worth it to them because of the increased costs of fuel and grain – the latter due to the Ukraine war.
Egg producers culled their flocks due to a drop in demand and flocks remain low with a NSW egg farmer suggesting the shortage could last until October
Owner of Chooks at the Rooke, a free-range egg farm in Melbourne’s south-west, Xavier Prime told 3AW Radio a large issue with egg production is the current cold weather and shorter days that come with winter.
‘Part of it is the time of the year… Free-range eggs, in that sort of space the birds are open to the elements, and with the daylight hours being shorter, that has a lot to do with how many eggs the chickens lay,’ he said.
Mr Prime said ‘to lay the optimum’, hens needs between 15 and 16 hours of daylight each and every day yet at the moment they are experiencing between 10 and 11.