While the transition away from battery cages has contributed to the nation's lack of laying hens, the increasing costs of feed, electricity and cartons are also driving the prices up. There is currently a shortage of around 300,000 laying hens to meet demand, and egg prices continue to meet record highs.
The battery farming legislation was first introduced in 2012, giving ten years for egg farmers to make changes for animal welfare. Around 75 percent of farmers moved away from their battery cages, and colony cages provided the answer many were looking for - more room for the hens to roam while still meeting supply demand. However, in 2019 after a number of farms had already made the transition to colony cages, Countdown and Foodstuffs announced they would no longer be selling colony cage eggs.
The ongoing expense of changing the infrastructure of farms, the slow process for approval, and increased operating costs due to inflation and a struggling supply chain means egg prices will just keep going up. New Zealand needs between 2.8 and 2.9 million laying hens to meet demand, and with the legislation changes, there are now only 2.5 million.
Egg prices have seen a steady increase since 2010, and in December 2022, eggs were one of the major contributors (alongside potatoes) to the record-breaking annual food price increase. Eggs were 26 percent higher in October 2022 than in October 2021 and 16 percent higher in November 2022 than in November 2021.
Quail eggs, apple cider vinegar and imported eggs are all possible answers to the shortage. Google has seen a major spike in searches over the last month for chickens, hens and chicken coops and the same searches on Trade Me have seen a 190 percent increase. Consumers are desperately looking at ways they can take the shortage into their own hands.
However, owning hens won’t help the global industry as New Zealand is not the only country facing eggy challenges. Australia is still in the process of phasing out battery cages, with the date set for 2036, while the practice is already banned in most of Europe, the UK, Mexico, Israel and Canada. The war in Ukraine has raised feed prices globally, and the energy crisis in Europe is further increasing farmer expenses. The Avian Flu (or bird flu) has created a 60 percent increase in USA egg prices in the last 12 months and a nine-year high in Japan.
