Taiwan Egg Shortfall
Taiwan’s table egg prices surged in January 2022 amid extreme shortages. Egg wholesale prices were pushed to a record high of 80 New Taiwan dollars (NTD) per kilogram on and after March 15. Egg retail prices rose accordingly to over 85 NTD ($2.98) in major cities.
Taiwan officials revealed that layers traditionally produce fewer eggs with shorter daylight during winter and it has been a particularly grey/rainy winter and spring. Farmers who were reluctant to equip and provide light to hens on-farm eventually received less production during the winter/spring seasons. Besides, high feed prices induced by supply chain disruption discourage farmers to place more layers. As a result, far fewer eggs are being laid. Moreover, the culling of the island’s hen flocks owing to seasonal avian influenza virus infections and low egg demands due to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in summer 2021 affected egg production. These reasons led to the supply shortage and thus increased prices. The price hikes in wholesale eggs are expected to remain over the coming months.
Production of Taiwan Eggs and Egg Products
Taiwan table (chicken) egg production totaled 8.17 billion in 2020. Annual import volumes of eggs and egg products are similar to the export volumes. On average, each of Taiwan’s 23 million consumers eats 347 eggs annually. Egg production and per capita consumption of eggs and products have both gone up 22% over the past decade.
Eggs and Products Trade, and Opportunities for U.S. Egg Products Export
The vast majority of Taiwan’s egg production is consumed domestically. Taiwan imports $17.6 million and exports $10.6 million in eggs and products. The top five egg products Taiwan imports are:
Fresh shell eggs are imported to meet occasional shortfalls of local production.
The recent egg shortage in
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