Hardly any price consequences for customers: Association: Egg market calms down before Easter

Colorful eggs are not only popular with children for Easter. Hundreds of millions are sold or colored themselves every year. In particular, the bird flu recently let eggs become scarce.

The all-clear now comes from the Federal Association of EI: “There are enough eggs on the market, and it is increasingly relaxing,” said President Hans-Peter Goldnick. The young hens, which came into the stables at the beginning of the year, have now taken eggs. But bottlenecks for individual sorting – for example, depending on the form of husbandry and size – are therefore still possible.

According to Goldnick, egg prices on the wholesale market are currently sideways to slightly falling. However, consumers would not have to worry about the prices before Easter: there are usually an annual contracts between the food dealers and egg producers that are concluded in August or September. In most cases, price increases are possible in most cases in the discounters and supermarkets.

As with other foods, consumers in Germany had to accept significantly higher prices in the past: in March, eggs were 41.5 percent more expensive than on average 2020, as data from the Federal Statistical Office show.

Bird flu causes problems

In the past few weeks, supply and demand had not fit together with chicken eggs. In the meantime, according to the association, which represents egg economy in Germany, there was fewer eggs than required. As a result, the wholesale prices rapidly increased.

Egg producers are currently facing several problems. One of them is bird flu. Because of the plague, laying hen stocks had to be chased again and again. It takes a few months before new hens have grown up, which can fill this gap. This is reinforced by cases all over the world. This also shows a request from US authorities who have asked for more egg exports in Europe.

After Christmas, production was also shut down. During this time, according to the Baden -Württemberg State Farmers’ Association, herds are usually exchanged – that is, older hens are equipped and young animals are bought. The actual season termination was met for non -predictable events such as the outbreak of the poultry plague.

The fact that eggs were recently scarce has to do with the great demand. In 2024, egg consumption rose by more than four percent to 20.8 billion eggs. In this country, an average of 249 eggs were consumed in this country – 10 more than in the previous year. There had already been an increase back then. Processed eggs are included in egg products in the preliminary figures of the Federal Information Center Agriculture (BZL).

In addition, Germany cannot completely supply itself with eggs. Last year, demand could only be covered by 72 percent by domestic production. Therefore, eggs have to be imported from abroad.