Tesco invests further £14m into egg industry as avian flu sparks rationing
Tesco is leading the charge in supporting egg suppliers, as British supermarkets begin rationing egg sales amid an outbreak of avian flu.
Egg farmers in the UK have been wrestling with an outbreak of avian flu, on top of soaring inflation which has ramped up the price of feed and energy.
Tesco has set aside £14m of support for the egg industry, it announced yesterday, having already pumped £13.6m into the cause since March.
Dominic Morrey, Tesco’s commercial director for fresh food said: “We know the British egg sector continues to face acute market conditions with input costs continuing to increase, and avian flu causing disruption and adding complexities to farming conditions and the supply chain.
“With five-year contracts with our suppliers now underway, and our well-established feed model in place, we hope the support we’re providing alleviates some of the pressure being felt and provides the industry with confidence and protection during these uncertain times.”
On Thursday, Waitrose sat it would hand £2.6m to its egg supply chain, as it sought to steer away from rationing.
Marks & Spencer and Morrisons have become the latest grocers to join Tesco, Asda and Lidl in limiting the sale of boxes.
Waitrose added that it has no plans to introduce limits, saying it is confident in the ‘strong availability of British free-range eggs available for purchase both online and in our shops’.