Why supermarket egg prices could hit ‘$15 a box’ as Australia moves towards a ban on caged eggs
- Australia could ban caged eggs from 2036
- They would be banned in 2046
- The early ban could cause egg prices to rise
A proposal to move Australia’s cage egg ban from 2046 to 2036 could push the cost of eggs to $15 for a dozen, create nationwide shortages and push farmers to their limits.
On Thursday, a meeting of agriculture ministers will determine whether the complete ban on the sale of caged eggs will be brought forward by 10 years.
A similar ban earlier this year in New Zealand caused egg prices to rise to $15 a dozen — most Aussies currently pay around $5 a dozen.
“We’re being warned that we could be paying more for the privilege of having them on your plate, while industry insiders are warning that yes, a dozen could cost you $15 soon, which is just unheard of, especially with rising costs.” of livelihood as it is right now,” said Sunrise reporter Tamara Bowe.
An updated version of Australia’s poultry animal welfare standards and guidelines has recommended enforcing the ban from 2036, but industry stakeholders have argued for ministers to keep the 2046 date.
Those stakeholders warned that the sudden change to the 10-year date would drastically reduce the number of eggs Australian farmers can produce and raise the price.
The price of eggs could rise to $15 a dozen if Australia’s ban on keeping eggs in cages is brought forward by 10 years (pictured, woman buying eggs)
Brett Langfield, owner of LPC Eggs, an egg farm in the rural NSW town of Young, explained that 70 percent of his chickens are free-range, but getting the last 30 percent out of cages would cost $20 million.
Free-range chickens require three times more staff than caged chickens, but produce only half the amount of eggs.
“We have no certainty about the future of our industry, we want clarity on what we should be doing for the next 12 years,” Mr Langfield told the Daily telegram.
‘We don’t want to end up in a situation where we have to import whole eggs because we can’t produce enough. We should never do that for biosecurity reasons.
“I don’t believe consumers are fully aware that their cheap source of protein in eggs could become significantly more expensive based on government decisions now.”
Woolworths has already ditched its own brand of caged eggs, with the ultimate goal of eliminating all caged eggs by 2025.
However, activists argue that keeping caged eggs is inhumane and should be banned as soon as possible.
Caged eggs keep hundreds of chickens confined in confined spaces, ‘cages’, in barns and factories, while free range eggs have chickens roaming free in pastures.
Ministers will meet on Thursday to decide whether the ban date will remain at the industry-approved date of 2046 or be pushed back to 2036 (pictured, free-range chickens by their coop)
“Chickens in battery cages are constantly frustrated that they can’t do the things that come naturally – spread their wings, run free, dust bathe, forage, lay their egg in a nest,” RSPCA says on his website.
‘Even if there is no room or equipment for any of these activities, chickens will still try to take a dust bath despite the bare wire floor, so strong is their strong drive to engage in this natural behaviour.
‘Battery or ‘conventional’ cages today are much the same as they have been since the 1950s; small, bare and made of wire.
‘Dead batteries are indefensible from a welfare point of view.’
NSW Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty has not commented on whether she will support the ban.
Due to the high pressure on the ministers, the final decision could be postponed to another date.