May 6, 2011

UK egg prices decrease

The throughput of eggs through UK packing stations in the first quarter of 2011 was 5.5% less than the same time of last year, while the average price for the quarter declined by 7%.

For the first time, less than half of the eggs produced were from birds kept in cages.

6.854 million cases of eggs were packed during the first quarter of 2011.

Free-range and organic eggs accounted for 47% of eggs packed in the UK during Q1 of 2011, compared with 43% for the same period in the previous year.

The average packer to produce price for all eggs for Q1 of 2011, was GBX69.7 (US$1.15) per dozen, a 6.9% decrease in contrast to the same period in 2010.
 

UK packing station throughput by country shows that a total of 5.1 million cases of eggs were packed in England and Wales during Q1 of 2011. 1.1 million cases of eggs were packed in Scotland during Q1 of 2011 and 0.7 million cases of eggs were packed in Northern Ireland during Q1 of 2011.

UK packing station throughput by type shows that during Q1 of 2011, laying cage eggs accounted for 49%, free-range eggs accounted for 44%, and barn and organic eggs combined accounted for 7.4% of the total throughput.

The percentage split of graded eggs by size during Q1 of 2011 shows that 5.2% of throughput were very large eggs, 44.2% were large eggs, 40.5% were medium eggs, and 3.1% were small eggs. Graded seconds accounted for 7.1% of total throughput.

The weighted average packer to producer price of all eggs for Q1 of 2011 was GBX69.7 (US$1.15) per dozen. This was a decrease of 6.9% compared to the same period in 2010.

The number of eggs bought by UK processors during Q1 of 2011 totalled 1.3 million cases.

UK egg processors produced nearly 24,000 tonnes of egg products in Q1 of 2011. Liquid and frozen eggs accounted for 65% of the total production for which Q1 of 2011 was 15,700 tonnes.

The latest trade data shows that during the period January-February 2011, the UK imported 346,000 cases of shell eggs, a fall of 56% during the same period last year. Exports of shell eggs for the same period totalled 114,000 cases, which was a 24% rise during the same period in 2010.

UK imports of egg products for the period January-February 2011 stood at 401,000 cases, an 8.3% decrease during the same period last year. Exports of egg products for the same period totalled 25,000 cases, which represents a 20% increase on exports during the same period in 2010.