Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address issues with the egg supply chain.

The UK egg industry operates in an open market and the value of egg commodities, including the farm gate egg price, is established by those in the supply chain including farmers, processors, wholesalers, retailers and consumers.

Recognising the challenges that the agricultural industry, including the egg sector, is facing due to the rise of input costs as a result of the war in Ukraine, the Government has put in place a number of measures to support supply chains. These include cuts to VAT and fuel duty and support through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. We also recognise that both the poultry and egg sectors have been impacted by Avian Influenza. Defra announced changes to the Avian Influenza compensation scheme on 28 October and granted a concession to the rules for the labelling of free-range eggs from poultry that have been housed under Avian Influenza Prevention Zone with mandatory housing measures for longer than the 16-week period for which an automatic derogation applies.

The Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries hosted an egg industry roundtable on 6 December 2022. This involved representatives from across the UK egg supply chain. The roundtable focused on the various challenges that the sector is facing. The meeting was productive with a clear willingness from all parties to address issues affecting the supply chain.

Defra continues to work closely with the egg sector and to monitor the egg market through the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group (UKAMMG).