December 26, 2009

Dutch market faces shortage of free-range eggs

Free-range eggs are now hard to find in the Netherlands as supplies are flown overseas, particularly to Germany.

As of January 1, 2010, German supermarkets can no longer sell eggs from hens in battery cages. As Germany does not have sufficient free-range farms to supply local supermarkets, the German chains are buying these eggs from the Netherlands. German buyers are also willing to pay more for the eggs, so it did not take long for the Dutch poultry farmers to decide where their eggs would be going.

As a result, Dutch supermarkets, which sell only free-range eggs, face empty shelves for the time being. The spokesman of a large supermarket chain said eggs are available in the market and it is just a matter of finding them.

Packing stations expect the situation to return to normal around mid January. Until then, consumers might have to go to different outlets to buy eggs; or just buy them at the producer.