The selling price of eggs from poultry farms has almost doubled. Producers are now selling them for 20 to 21 lek per egg, while in the retail market the price for bulk eggs has reached 25 lek per piece.
Representatives from one of the largest poultry farms in the country reported that the selling price from the producer ranges from 20 to 21 lek per egg, while previously it ranged from 10 to 11 lek. This translates into an increase of 90% to 100%. In the retail market, the price of bulk eggs has increased from 17-20 lek to 25 lek per egg, an increase of 20% to 47%.
The managers of the poultry farms point out that the price increase is due to the decrease in production, which was caused by the death of poultry due to the appearance of H5N1 influenza in early March in poultry farms in the Durres area.
By the first week of March (until March 7), according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the number of poultry killed due to infection with H5N1 influenza reached 67,000.
Producers say they are facing a decline in purchasing power, not so much because of rising prices but because of consumer concerns. However, companies assure that the eggs produced are safe, as only healthy poultry are used in production. Infected poultry were killed, while those that were already infected were unable to produce eggs.
Bird flu had appeared in the country three years ago, in March 2022, with the largest reduction in production recorded in the Durres region, where the largest number of poultry farms are concentrated. In 2022, egg production in the region decreased by about 48% compared to the previous year. According to INSTAT data, in 2022, about 4.9 million poultry were recorded in the country, a number that decreased by 5% compared to 2021.
During the same period, the decrease in production also led to an increase in the price of eggs, reaching 25 lek per piece in the retail market.
Without government subsidies, producers managed to replace the poultry that had been lost during 2023, while at the beginning of the year they also exported large quantities of production.
For the current year, businesses positively assess the start of state compensation for the replacement of poultry that were killed. The price of poultry for egg production on the market ranges from 4.5 to 5 euros per head.
In 2023, according to INSTAT, the total number of poultry in the country reached 4.8 million, a decrease of 2.4% compared to 2022. However, egg production increased by 15% compared to the previous year.
