A Co. Cavan farmer has warned consumers that the supply of free range eggs is in jeopardy on shop shelves.
IFA Poultry Chair, Brendan Soden said made the comments, warning that a realistic premium needs to be passed back to producers.
Farmers only receive a premium of 4c per dozen (0.3c per egg) to produce free-range instead of barn according to Teagasc figures.
This equates to 3% of the premium paid by the consumer.
The Co. Cavan man highlighted that free range eggs account for 45.3% of all eggs produced.
`The farmer explained that producers want to continue supplying quality free range eggs.
He said that he was surpised by just how tight margins are.
“Producers want to continue supplying quality Irish free-range egg to Irish consumers, but they may be left with little option but to close the doors and take a step backwards to barn egg production,” the IFA Poultry Chair stated.
“If significant progress is not made immediately the farmers are poised to strike out to protect the industry they have built,” Brendan Soden concluded.
