The British Free Range Egg Producers Association (BFREPA) is asking Sainsbury’s for an urgent meeting, after the retailer confirmed it is stocking eggs imported from Italy, following a tweet from @DanPBrown which asked the supermarket: ‘Can you explain why you’re selling imported eggs despite your commitment to sell only UK produced free range eggs?’
BFREPA chief executive Robert Gooch said he was not surprised by the development, which follows warnings he made in March that the country would be short of British eggs by Christmas if farmers were not paid a sustainable price.
“We have been warning for months that failing to pay farmers a price, which allows them to make a profit, would result in mass de-stocking or, worse still, an exodus from the industry,” he said. “Seeing Italian eggs on the shelves is a wake-up call to all retailers that they can’t expect farmers to work for nothing. Enough is enough.
“I will be writing to Sainsbury’s today to ask for a meeting to discuss how we forge a more sustainable future for egg producers. Sainsbury’s has made strong commitments to British free range egg producers in the past and I hope a positive dialogue can bring about change from what is a disappointing situation.”