The egg crisis from stores “leads to price increases”

The price at which eggs are marketed has recorded a significant growth in the last period in Cluj.

The officials of the Agricultural Department and for the Rural Development consider that this growth is due to coldness and to increased prices of farming.

Grigore Onaciu, the director of the Agricultural Department and for the Rural Development declared for Radio Cluj that “the halls should be warmed whenever temperature decreases for many days below -15°, -20°C and many famers couldn’t warm their halls because they would have had additional costs.”

In this way, according to Grigore Onaciu, the egg production significantly decreased.

Moreover, the feed consumption per egg has increased and this thing has felt regarding the egg price on the shelves of the stores.

Also, another fact which led to the egg price growth from Cluj is due to the growth of fuel in the last period.

Another important fact which led to the significant growth of egg’s price is also the cereals price increase, according to Grigore Onaciu, in the last two years even with RON 1 in some areas.

The new European rules, one of the causes of price growth?

On the other side, the producers state that the rules for the batteries in which the birds are grown have led to decrease of production.

As consequence, the producers had either to transform the batteries, or to pass at soil bird growing.

As the first method was bringing high costs, many have chosen the second one which led to a decrease of the number of hens which could be grown on a certain surface.

The president of the Poultry Breeders Association, Ilie Van, recently declared for Radio România Actualităţi that, in Romania, the producers would have complied with the new rules, but in the winter period the usual egg consumption depends on imports “of almost 20-25%.”

“In Romania, the domestic production exists in graphics, imports not being assured anymore instead.”

“This led to the egg supply crisis in store”, declares Ilie Van.

The “correct” price

In the producers’ opinion from Cluj, another cause of the price growth is the exaggerate request.

The director of a hen farm from Cluj states that the request has direct connection with the egg price on the market.

Concerning the probably correct price for an egg, the director of the farm pointed that this should be around 50, 60 bani per egg at the producer.

The producers estimate a period of crisis of almost 2 weeks.

In the hypermarkets from Cluj, eggs are not commercialized yet.

The orders are made and everyone is waiting for the eggs delivery from the producers, and the price estimation is over 20 RON at an egg crate of 30 eggs.

Translated by
Alexandra-Diana Mircea

MTTLC, Bucharest University