THE Department of Agriculture (DA) announced on Saturday that it is implementing measures to stabilize the country’s egg supply and prevent price increases, driven by concerns over a potential bird flu outbreak and a previous egg surplus.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. explained that a bird flu outbreak in the United States has led to a significant culling of egg-laying chickens, causing a surge in egg prices globally. While the Philippines has not experienced a widespread outbreak, the DA anticipates a potential supply shortage by April. Laurel attributed this to the oversupply of eggs last year, which resulted in plummeting farmgate prices (down to ₱4 per piece), forcing many farmers to cull their flocks to recover losses.
To mitigate the potential shortage, the DA is accelerating the importation of new egg-laying chickens and working to secure Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for an avian influenza vaccine. Laurel emphasized that facilitating the swift importation of new layers is the DA’s most effective way to support the industry. While acknowledging the potential for a shortage in April, he expressed optimism that proactive measures, implemented in February, could avert the crisis.
However, the Philippine Egg Board Association (PEBA) offered a more optimistic outlook, asserting that current egg supply remains stable and that they project an oversupply for the year, unless a major bird flu outbreak occurs. PEBA President Francis Uyehara stated that their projections indicate an oversupply of egg production for the year.
