Overview
- Producers report a roughly 15% shortfall in Germany’s egg market, with retailers warning of temporarily empty shelf space in the run-up to Easter.
- Free-range and organic eggs are hardest to find, as outdoor flocks faced higher infection risk and the spot market has largely dried up while contract customers remain prioritized.
- Retailers say core availability remains secured, yet selection is slimmer and allocations are tighter; discounter prices have climbed to about €2.49 for ten, with some reports of increases versus last year.
- Lower Saxony has been hit especially hard, with around 165 outbreaks since 2025 and about 1.5 million birds culled, contributing to an estimated national shortfall of roughly three million hens.
- Rebuilding will take months because pullets need about 20 weeks to start laying and affected farms may need seven to eight months to restart, while imports from Poland and the Netherlands cannot fully compensate and rising consumption adds pressure.