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The potential for eggs from lower welfare production systems to enter the UK market remains a concern for British Egg Industry Council (BIEC) chief executive Mark Williams.
Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, Williams said that the UK government’s no-deal Brexit tariff plan set imports tariffs for eggs at zero, which would open the gates for cheap imports.
Although the possibility of a no-deal Brexit has receded, the tariff schedule still causes concern in case it is a sign of what is to come in terms of UK trade policy after Brexit.
The British Lion Quality Mark for domestic eggs is well recognised and will provide protection to local producers in the UK retail market
In the UK egg sector, imports from Ukraine are a worry. “Ukraine has no legislation on laying hen welfare. Needless to say their production systems are not up to our standards,” Williams said.
He points out that the UK egg sector is a world leader in production standards: “Even in the USA, there is no federal legislation on laying hen welfare.”
The British Lion Quality Mark for domestic eggs is well recognised and will provide protection to local producers in the UK retail market. However, Williams maintains that lower-quality imports could end up in the food service and processing sectors, where price is key.
Optimism
However, the BIEC chief is optimistic that with the right trade policy in place, there is considerable scope for local producers to increase the UK’s self-sufficiency in eggs, which currently sits at 87%.
He also points to growing egg consumption in the UK: “The greatest growth is with people in their early 20s, particularly females. Eggs are healthy and are quick to prepare, which fits in with busy lifestyles.”
With UK retailers planning to stop selling eggs from hens in enriched cages by 2025, more producers are switching to barn and free-range systems and only 43% of UK laying hens are in enriched cages at present.
The standard is set at a level which will give longevity
Industry representatives are currently in the final stages of agreeing a new standard for barn eggs labelled with the British Lion Quality Mark.
Williams said that the new standard for low-intensity barn production will ensure barn eggs are not eventually removed from supermarket shelves in favour of free range. “The standard is set at a level which will give longevity,” he maintained.
Mark Williams will speak at the NI Poultry Industry Conference at CAFRE’s Loughry Campus on Tuesday 29 October.
Details on registration are available here.
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