The price of free-range eggs is expected to rise with an incoming ban on caged eggs and surging land prices, a Narrawong poultry farmer warns.
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It comes after agricultural ministers met in Canberra yesterday to endorse a ban by 2036, leaving it up to each state and territory to decide how the phase-out would be implemented.
Providore Farm owner Zac Jeffries, who farms a free-range flock of 1500 chickens, said he expected the move to lead to a price hike caused by resultant egg shortage.
"The caged system is by far the most financially profitable because everything about it is built for efficiency," he said.
"The chook will lay more eggs because it's not allowed to exercise and burn off excess energy. In a pasture setting, the advice to us was to expect 20 per cent fewer eggs than if they were in a caged system.
"Despite the quality of egg being higher, from a purely numbers game those in the caged egg business say they're going to get more eggs out of their chickens."
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But Mr Jeffries said he expected that price hike to be less in the south-west than that of inner-city areas.
"The cost of production in a pasture setting is definitely higher, but because for us our product is on the shelf next to caged eggs the price has to be competitive and accessible, so I don't know where people are pulling the $15 from," he said.
"I've occasionally found some bio-dynamic, organic eggs which might fetch $14-15 per dozen in some inner-city areas, but I can't see that happening here.
"Land prices are going up quite a lot and you need more land to run free-range. If you're running in the inner city, the land prices will be higher.
"But ours are currently $8 a dozen for 700 gram range which is the standard-sized eggs."
Mr Jeffries said there was lots of support for free-range eggs in the region.
"People look for the stocking density when buying eggs," he said.
"Most people now understand free-range can be up to 10,000 or even 15,000 birds per hectare, which is quite incredible and that's in a fixed shed as well, whereas we're running at 150 birds per hectare.
"I think people in our area are a bit more clued on."
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Jessica Greenan
Journalist at The Warrnambool Standard covering both Moyne Shire and Corangamite Shire Council. Sometimes court. Special interest in all things environment.
Journalist at The Warrnambool Standard covering both Moyne Shire and Corangamite Shire Council. Sometimes court. Special interest in all things environment.
