February 23, 2023
Poultry farmers in Ireland seeking price increase for eggs
Nigel Sweetnam, the chairman of the Irish Farmers' Association's National Poultry Committee, has expressed his anger over the lack of action in response to the demand for a fair price increase in eggs from Irish egg producers, Kilkenny Live reported.
Sweetnam said it is disappointing and upsetting that egg producers are unable to increase the prices of eggs by 2 cents, which is needed to sustain their operations.
IFA members and egg producers protested in October, demanding that retailers pay farmers more money back through the supply chain. Discount retailers have reacted favourably to the protests, but some other retailers have fallen short of the producers' demands, he said.
Egg producers have only received an average of 0.7 cents per egg out of the 2 cents they need, despite discussions on sustainability, farmer incomes, and the security of the egg supply.
Sweetnam said Irish egg producers are forced to continue operating at a loss in an expanding global market, which affects their livelihoods.
He said the remaining retailers and packers need to act right away to address this issue and uphold their duty to the farmers who supply their products.
- Kilkenny Live