Free range egg prices fell by more than three per cent in the last quarter of 2021, according to the latest figures released by Defra.
The farm gate price for free range eggs was down 3.03 per cent in the three months from October to December compared with the previous quarter.
The statistics give a figure of 96 pence per dozen in Q4 compared to 99 pence for the previous three month period, although the latest recorded price was an increase on the 92 pence posted in the final quarter of 2020.
In November Robert Gooch, chief executive of the British Free Range Egg Producers’ Association (BFREPA) warned that a price rise was urgently needed to cover huge increases in the cost of feed, energy, transport, and labour.
He said: “Free range egg producers are always at the bottom of the pile.
“Everyone else in the supply chain secures their margin by passing the rising costs down the chain, so they inevitably get left at the farmer’s door."
BFREPA has campaigned for fair, robust contracts to be available which allow for movement in the price paid to farmers as input costs, such as feed, increase and decrease.
Mr Gooch said: “These contracts have been adopted by some retailers and packers but there are numerous examples of these contracts being broken now that inflationary pressures are rising.
“This simply isn’t fair and can’t be allowed to continue.”
The latest Defra figures show that the average price for free range eggs for the whole of 2021 was 98 pence per dozen - up from 90 pence in 2020.
Whilst free range prices fell in the final quarter, the statistics showed strong prices for enriched cage eggs, even though they are being phased out by leading retailers and many food manufacturers.
