Strategic Changes Needed in the Egg Industry: High and Volatile Egg Prices Impact Markets and Business Models

There are also significant value chain impacts. While consumers face high prices and availability issues, suppliers struggle with disease, cost inflation, new regulations, government intervention, changing consumer demand, and limited customer commitment. This has resulted in supply chain disruptions, with considerable price and supply volatility and, in some cases, empty supermarket shelves.

We expect prices to stay relatively high throughout 2023 but lower on average than the levels seen in Q1 2023. Prices will be especially high in markets heavily impacted by avian flu, high costs, and regulatory changes. In other markets, prices will drop but not to pre-2021 levels, as lingering high input costs will keep prices elevated.

In the longer term, a refocused and measured approach to better balance market supply and demand, pricing, and risks in the value chain is important. Such an approach should include the key tools of more demand-driven value chain cooperation, including more customer commitment, strategies to reduce the impact of avian influenza and government interventions, and better access to finance for the sector. The egg industry, governments, and other stakeholders will need to join efforts to optimize value chains and link these efforts to industry business models.