IFA Poultry Chair Brendan Soden stated that farmers have warned retailers and packers for some time that current farmgate prices cannot support the growing demand for Irish eggs.
The association is calling for an immediate price increase of 2c per egg for free-range and organic production, and 1c per egg for barn eggs.
Mr. Soden said that these increases must be “ring fenced” to ensure they are returned directly to the producers.
He cautioned that the industry is seeing “history repeating itself,” referencing the 2022/2023 period in the UK when egg rationing was introduced due to similar supply chain failures.
The IFA warns of potential egg rationing as producers struggle with a 20% spike in feed costs and “unsustainable” farmgate prices, despite a 10% rise in national production reported earlier this month
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According to the IFA, producers simply cannot sustain output at current returns, especially as the gap between Irish and EU pricing continues to widen.
The warnings run contary to comments made earlier this month by Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Martin Heydon, who said that the Irish table egg sector has actually seen growth, with production increasing by 10% in 2025 to approximately 64,000 tonnes.
At that point, the Minister stated he was “not aware of any shortages of eggs” in supermarkets nationally, though he clarified that his department monitors production levels rather than retail supply.
However, the Minister’s data also underscored the intense financial pressure on farmers. Poultry feed now represents approximately 70% of input costs for egg producers. While feed prices have experienced volatility, they remained 20% higher in 2025 than they were in 2020.
Economic data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) further highlights the rising cost for consumers. Since 2021, the annual average price for six large eggs has increased by 28% (reaching €2.28 in 2025), while six medium eggs have risen by 32% (to €1.83).
Despite a 5.6% increase in egg prices over the last 12 months, the IFA maintains that these retail gains are not reaching the farmgate.
With the constant threat of Avian Flu in the background, many producers, it said are now weighing up whether the high-risk nature of the sector is worth the current minimal returns.