UK Egg Statistics – 4th Quarter, 2012

The latest National Statistics on UK egg packing, processing and trade shows quarterly information on egg production, usage and prices. It also includes monthly information on the trade in eggs and egg products.

The key results are that 6,596 thousand cases of eggs were packed during the fourth quarter of 2012. Free range and organic eggs accounted for 47% of eggs packed in the UK during the fourth quarter of 2012, compared to 48% during quarter four, 2011. The average packer to producer price for all eggs packed during quarter four 2012, was 89.9 pence per dozen, compared with 71.4 pence per dozen during quarter four 2011.

UK packing station throughput by country shows that a total of 5.0 million cases of eggs were packed in England and Wales during the 4th quarter of 2012. 1.0 million cases of eggs were packed in Scotland, and 0.7 million cases of eggs were packed in Northern Ireland during the same period. UK packing station throughput by type shows that during quarter 4 of 2012, intensive eggs accounted for 49%, free range eggs accounted for 45% and barn and organic eggs combined accounted for 6% of the total throughput.

The weighted average ‘packer to producer’ price of all eggs for quarter 4 of 2012 was 89.9 pence per dozen. This was an increase of 26% compared to the same period in 2011. The number of eggs bought by UK processors during quarter 4 of 2012 totalled 1.14 million cases.

UK egg processors produced 22 thousand tonnes of egg products in quarter 4 of 2012. Liquid egg accounted for 75% of the total production, which for quarter 4 of 2012 was 16.1 thousand tonnes. The latest trade data shows that during the period Jan-November 2012, the UK imported 5.2 million cases of shell eggs, an increase of 57% on the same period last year. Exports of shell eggs for the same period totalled 899 thousand cases, which was a 53% increase on the same period during 2011.

UK imports of egg products for the period Jan-November 2012 stood at 2.9 million cases, a 13% increase on the same period last year. Exports of egg products for the period Jan-November 2012 totalled 376 thousand cases, which represents a 220% increase on exports during the same period of 2011.