Is Austria Facing an Egg Crisis Due to Bird Flu?

The outbreak of avian flu in Austria last fall did not cause a severe crisis, as hens are not kept in "huge agricultural corporations" here, but in family farms.

Avian Flu: Numerous Farms in Austria Prevent Egg Crisis Like in USA

Throughout Austria, there are a total of 2,492 laying hen farms. If avian flu breaks out in some, it does not result in such dramatic supply shortages as the failure of an agricultural corporation would, explained the Chairman of the Poultry Industry of Upper Austria, Gerold Sterrer, at a press conference in Linz. However, he expects a gradual shortage of eggs in Austria. This is due to the interplay of several factors. On one hand, egg consumption has increased over the past five years, with per capita consumption amounting to 248 eggs per year. High construction costs, rising interest rates, and uncertain times have led to only a slight change in the laying hen population in Upper Austria. Furthermore, there has been no corresponding price adjustment to the increased production costs. Sterrer mentioned an additional 2 cents per egg as a target for family farms. In 2024, the most common form of egg production in Austria was barn egg production at just over 56 percent, with free-range accounting for nearly 31 percent and organic free-range at 13 percent.

(APA/Red)

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