The Shift to Cage-Free Egg Production in the EU

The European Cage-Free Egg Commitment marks a transformative era in animal welfare and corporate responsibility within the food industry. This movement, fuelled by rising consumer demand for ethical practices and advocacy from animal rights organizations, is redefining egg production across Europe. Leading retailers, producers, and food service providers have pledged to eliminate caged systems, setting a new standard for sustainability and ethical agriculture.

The European Union has achieved substantial milestones in the transition to cage-free egg production, with over 50% of laying hens...

EU Retail Egg Market Thrives Amid Festive Season Surge

With Christmas just a few days away, the industrial egg market has slowed considerably, with demand expected to remain subdued until mid-January. Several breaking stations have taken advantage of this lull to perform routine maintenance on their machinery.

In recent weeks, industrial shell egg prices have been slowing down, following their peak in late November. Currently, values for cage egg averages 2.05 €/kg, reflecting a marginal drop of 0.04 €/kg from the previous week. However, prices are still 24% higher than this time...

ANALYSIS: EU Free-Range Egg Prices Remain Firm Despite Broader Shell Egg Market Weakening

Following 16 weeks of rising prices, industrial shell egg prices in the EU saw a relief in the first week of December, particularly in the Cage and Barn egg categories, which saw significant price drops. However, Free-Range eggs remained an exception, with market participants continuing to face challenges in sourcing them. Despite the typical slowdown in buying activity as the retail and manufacturing sectors wrap up their year-end buying, Free-Range egg prices have remained resilient, holding steady at a...

ANALYSIS: Main Drivers Behind EU Retail Egg Prices in Q4 2024

According to the European Commission, medium/large egg prices averaged €2.28 per kilogram during October and November 2024, and are currently at €2.43 per kilogram, marking a 23.07% quarter-on-quarter increase and a 6.7% year-on-year rise. The surge in egg prices during Q4 2024 can be attributed to a combination of factors.

Firstly, the seasonal demand typical of Q4 has had an immediate effect on prices. This seasonal increase is particularly significant in a market where the EU faces limited self-sufficiency...

ANALYSIS: EU Shell Egg Prices Show Signs of Stabilization

Since early September, shell-egg prices have surged by 60.7%, driven primarily by robust retail demand. As the dominant distribution channel for eggs, the retail sector has absorbed a substantial share of available supply, leaving fewer eggs for breaking operations. Consumers continue to favor eggs as a cost-effective protein alternative, particularly as prices for other proteins, such as beef, have risen significantly throughout the year.

Seasonal factors have further bolstered demand. Cooler autumn weather has encouraged more home cooking, driving up egg consumption...

ANALYSIS: EU Dried Egg-White Market Navigates Evolving Dynamics and Challenges

In September 2024, the European Commission reported that EU dried egg white exports reached 11,459 tonnes, reflecting a slight 3.2% month-on-month decline from August. Despite this dip, cumulative exports for the year are up 23.92% compared to the same period in 2023, indicating strong overall growth. 

Both the liquid and dried egg white markets have experienced significant volatility in recent years.  In early December 2022, average prices for cage egg white powder reached a record high of 20.25 €/kg, prompting buyers to seek...

ANALYSIS: Soaring EU Egg Imports 

When looking at the first eight months of the year, import volume of shell eggs in the EU more than tripled in the last two years. Extra-EU imports increased by 234% from 12,826 MT in 2022 (Jan-Aug) to 42,889 MT this year (Jan-Aug). This represents 62.2 million euros so far for 2024, down 7% year over year, but up 170% since 2022. 

The main supplier of the EU for eggs is Ukraine, which has a free-trade agreement with the EU. Despite some quotas in place, Ukraine...  

ANALYSIS: EU Liquid Yolk Prices Hit Record Highs Amid Supply Crunch

The European Union's egg market continues to experience a significant imbalance between supply and demand. Retail demand has been relentless throughout much of this year, leaving few eggs available for breaking, while feedback indicates that egg production across the EU has struggled to meet the heightened demand.

The industry's output is being constrained by a combination of factors. Primarily, producers are grappling with the complexities and increased costs associated with the transition towards cage-free egg production systems, in line with evolving animal welfare standards. Additionally...

ANALYSIS: EU Egg Imports and Exports Show Growth in the First Half of 2024

The EU continues to be a net exporter of eggs and egg products, even as imports have risen significantly in recent years. H1 2024 figures indicated that the EU egg imports reached 57,078 tonnes, edging up by 21.81% from January to June 2023. The rise in imports was mostly driven by a strong domestic demand. As consumers grapple with high living expenses, many are trading down to more affordable protein options, making eggs a particularly appealing choice. Despite this import growth...

ANALYSIS: EU Shell Eggs Firming up as Consumption Progresses

The EU is experiencing a firm shell egg market, as it is common to see at this period of the year. However, market players on the supply side report that the overall egg production in the region is not following the strong progression of the demand from consumers and from processors.

According to Eurostats, graded shell eggs in the EU increased value by 6.9% between week 34 at 1,936€/MT (in the middle of August) and week 39 at 2,069€/MT (at the end of September)...

ANALYSIS: The Seasonal Rebound of EU Shell Egg Markets

Retail buying activity continues to rebound as the post-summer season unfolds, aligning with typical seasonal patterns observed at this time of year. Shell eggs have become less available for breaking plants as some producers are gearing their production efforts towards increased supermarkets demand. This has resulted in bullish sentiments for raw material, and sellers are confidently maintaining higher asking prices. This upward pressure on prices is evident in market assessments for both cage and barn shell eggs, which have risen for two consecutive...

ANALYSIS: Strong Market for Yolk Leads to Over-Production of Whites in the EU

Historically, in the EU, egg white and yolk prices have behaved rather independently. However, since September 2023, brisk demand for yolk has yielded more whites than producers can find an outlet for, which slightly impacted both market prices.

In the last three years, the price of liquid egg white has been following the same trend as egg white powder. Due to post-COVID inflation, severe HPAI outbreaks, and the invasion of Ukraine, the costs of feed, shell eggs, and energy in the EU surged...

ANALYSIS: High Whole EU Egg Prices Leave Little Room For Movement Ahead of Easter

Historically, the pre-Easter period in Europe has been a peak time for the egg industry, characterized by rising prices leading up to the extended holiday weekend. However, this year, the uptick has been comparatively subdued, with minimal deviation observed from the 2024 trendline. Over the past five years, cage liquid whole egg values have reached an average Easter peak of 1.76 €/kg, reflecting a 22.4% increase from the Q1 five-year average low. This year, the price increase has been more restrained...