Witney producer says soaring costs mean supermarkets don't pay enough

"The shortage isn’t due to bird flu it’s due to farmers going bust," said James Lyall who sells his Mayfield Eggs from his farm at Barnard Gate.

"Farmers' feed costs have gone up 80 per cent and the cost of new hens is up 25 per cent. And our electricity costs have gone up the same as everybody else in the world."

Sainsbury's have introduced Italian eggs as an emergency measure while last week a number of other supermarkets were imposing limits on the number of boxes shoppers can buy, citing the outbreak of bird flu.

But Mr Lyall said: "When supermarkets have been gradually increasing the price of eggs that has not been given back to farmers.

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"Every farmer is losing 30p on every dozen they sell to a supermarket. We have explained to our customers we will be holding our prices because we are able to because we have customers who have supported us all along the way."

According to the consultancy Adas, between January and November supermarket prices rose by 33p for a box of large free-range eggs to an average £2.67.

Over the same period, farmers received a rise of 18p for a dozen on average.

The UK and the EU is in the midst of the largest outbreak of avian flu on record with 161 cases of the disease detected in poultry and captive birds last year, leading to the culling of 3.2million birds.

That compared to the previous record of 26 cases in 2020/21.

But the UK Government said the culled birds were a "small proportion" of total production - about 20million birds a week.

Mr Lyall said: "Total laying flock production in the UK is currently 37million – my understanding is that Defra minister Therese Coffey recently stated 20m and this is inaccurate.

He added: "It’s a complete lockdown. I change my overalls and wellies 20 to 30 times a day. I have shoes to go the packing station, I change wellies for the farm track, and I change into different wellies and overalls to go into the chicken sheds. And there’s a foot dip in between.

"If we got bird flu in our hens all the birds would die within 48 hours. We were inspected by Defra last week and we were doing everything right but if we got it wrong it would finish our business."

He added: "Birds have been locked in since November 7 and there’s been one case in Faringdon.

"A lot of those were on turkey farms. I’ve ordered my turkey for Christmas and even I’m worried it won’t turn up.

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"Bird flu has taken about 1.7 per cent of the UK flock size but actually it’s down 17 per cent and that’s due to farmers going bankrupt. That’s 8 million eggs that are not being laid every day.

"And Sainsbury’s seems to think putting Italian eggs on the shelves is the answer."

Mr Lyall urged shoppers to buy local.

He said: "There is an alternative in Oxfordshire which a number of people have taken which is buying produce from a nearby farm.

"I have had a number of people contact me and they say it’s reassuring that they know they can always get eggs.

"But farmers need to start engaging more with customers. We send out a newsletter, and farmers say they don’t understand it but social media is actually really rewarding.

"People should be buying locally whether it’s strawberries, potatoes, Brussels sprouts.

"It takes 12 to 15 days to get eggs on the shelf in a supermarket, we can get them to our customers in three days."

Sainsbury's said: "We are doing all we can to support our packers and producers as they work with farmers.

"This support includes increasing the amount we pay for the eggs we buy."

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This story was written by Miranda Norris, she joined the team in 2021 and covers news across Oxfordshire as well as news from Witney.

Get in touch with her by emailing: Miranda.Norris@newsquest.co.uk. Or find her on Twitter: @Mirandajnorris

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