Egg shortage looms

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has assured the public that steps are being taken to prevent a potential egg shortage and price surge in the second quarter of the year.

The anticipated supply issue stems from last year’s oversupply, which led to a sharp drop in egg prices and significant losses for local producers. As a result, many were forced to cull their egg-laying hens, reducing the overall supply.

In an ambush interview, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. explained the impact of last year’s market conditions on the industry.

“Bumagsak ang presyo sa farm gate ng P4 na piso bawat piraso. Maraming nalugi. Iyong mga nalugi naman, kinatay nila yung mga layers nila para magkaroon ng cash,” Tiu Laurel said.

Despite these challenges, he remains hopeful that egg prices will remain stable, currently ranging between P8 and P9 per piece, or at most, experience only a slight increase by April.

“May chance pa naman ma-avert itong ating sinasabi ko sa Abril dahil Pebrero pa lang naman. But at least, looking forward, we know there’s a problem and we will act on it,” he assured.

Among the key interventions the DA is implementing is the mass rollout of avian influenza (AI) vaccines, targeted for release between March and April. Although the Philippines has no reported cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), Tiu Laurel said this proactive measure aims to prevent a crisis similar to the ongoing bird flu outbreak in the United States.

According to him, HPAI has already led to the culling of 145 million chickens in the US, resulting in a drastic increase in egg prices. He noted that in some supermarkets, a dozen eggs now cost as much as USD4.15 (approximately P242), with buyers limited to one or two cartons per transaction.

To help stabilize local supply, the DA is also prepared to assist poultry farmers with the importation of new egg-laying hens.

“Ang pinakamalaking tulong maibibigay ng gobyerno sa DA sa industriya is to facilitate iyong pag-import ng mga bagong layers into the country, ma-fast track iyan. I will be setting (up) a meeting with them (stakeholders) very soon,” he said.

Additionally, he called on financial institutions to support local producers by providing loans to help them recover and repopulate their farms.

“The best thing is sana iyong mga financial institution ay mabigyan ng pautang iyong ating mga egg industry and let them repopulate,” Tiu Laurel added.