Cracks in the European Egg Market Deepen as the Bird Flu, Inflation Rage On

Confronted with what some have labeled a “winter of discontent” amid soaring inflation, consumers throughout the European Union appear to be leaning more heavily on eggs as a low-cost source of protein. But while eggs by nature are more affordable than competing proteins, part of their recent affordability is somewhat artificial in nature—not reflective of current market conditions but rather the result of retailers’ unwillingness to pay farmers a sustainable price for their eggs—or to pass those prices on to consumers.

The situation is much the same in the UK. According to Farming UK, the British Free Range Egg Producers Association advised retailers last November and again this February that its members could not continue to produce eggs at a loss and requested a 40p/dozen increase. They warned that there would be a scarcity of eggs going into the Christmas period if the situation was not addressed, but their pleas were largely disregarded. And now, the very shortages they warned of have come to pass. Faced with limited supplies, and in some cases, empty shelves, some of the UK’s largest retailers—Tesco, Lidl and Asda among them—are restricting customers to 2-3 boxes of eggs per shopper, a move that is expected to last beyond Christmas.

U.S. Poultry Industry Provides 2 Million Jobs and $556 Billion in Economic Impact

The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY), National Chicken Council, National Turkey Federation and United Egg Producers have released an updated economic impact study that highlights the positive impact the poultry industry has on jobs, wages, and federal and state revenue in the United States. A dynamic and integral part of the national economy, the U.S. poultry industry provides 2,012,269 jobs, $125.6 billion in wages, $555.9 billion in economic activity and $33.7 billion in government revenue.

The study breaks down poultry into three subcategories...

Chicken Industry Provides 1.5 Million Jobs and $417 Billion in Economic Impact: New Study

The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY), National Chicken Council, National Turkey Federation and United Egg Producers have released an updated economic impact study that highlights the positive impact the poultry industry has on jobs, wages, and federal and state revenue in the United States.

The study breaks down poultry into three subcategories: chicken, turkey and eggs. The chicken industry provides 1,517,797 jobs, $94.9 billion in wages, $417 billion in economic activity and $25.5 billion in government revenue.

The data is hosted on...

China Food & Agribusiness Quarterly – Q4 2022

China is facing sharp economic growth slowdown due to macroeconomic and geo-political challenges around the world, the real estate market slowdown, and ongoing Covid-led lockdowns. In Q2 2022, China’s GDP growth recorded only 0.4% YOY, according to the National Statistics Bureau. Rabobank is forecasting China GDP will only grow at 2.8 % for year 2022.

NRF Says Growth Has Slowed But Indicators Disagree on Whether the Nation is in a Recession

U.S. economic growth has slowed, but it still isn’t clear if the nation is in a recession, National Retail Federation Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz said today.

“As we come to the end of the summer, economic indicators are signaling an unsteady U.S. expansion in the face of several headwinds,” Kleinhenz said, noting ongoing inflation, Federal Reserve interest rate hikes, the volatile stock market and other issues. “These factors are all contributing to the debate on whether the economy is..."