September 9, 2014

Netherlands: One quarter of egg farmers face bankruptcy

One quarter of egg farmers in the Netherlands is at risk of bankruptcy due to low egg prices and high feed costs, according to farming organisation LTO Nederlands.

The supply of eggs within the European Union has increased sharply, said LTO spokesman Hugo Bens. "There are a lot more farmers now in Germany and Germany was always an important export market for us. The loss of that export market has also pressured egg prices," he said.

To make matters worse, many farmers have made huge investments to prepare for the ban on battery egg production within the EU which came into effect in January 2012.

Egg farmers typically need to replenish their flocks every 18 months. A large farmer would need €450,000 (US$579,000) to replace 100,000 hens but many no longer have any reserves and banks are also more difficult about lending.