"The supply situation will remain tense until Easter," said Günther Wenninger, chairman of the producer association EZG-Frischei, at a press conference. Supermarket representatives confirmed to APA that some types of eggs may be temporarily sold out. To improve the egg supply, numerous farmers in this country are currently building new barns.

The number of laying hens in Austria is expected to increase from 7.5 to 8 million by the end of 2027. Due to the avian flu in Europe, around 12 million laying hens have been culled outside of Austria so far. The Europe-wide egg shortage means that some local gastronomy businesses and industrial companies, which otherwise process cheaper imported goods, are buying domestic eggs. As a result, there are fewer Austrian eggs available for supermarket chains to purchase. Organic eggs in packs of 10 are often quickly sold out in stores. Egg shelves are also emptying faster in inner-city and small supermarket branches.

Criticism of the Import of Fresh Eggs from Germany

To be better supplied, the supermarket chain Spar has now included fresh eggs from a Bavarian farm in its range. The eggs from Bavaria are sold in Spar branches in Vienna, Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Salzburg, and Tyrol. "This step has caused great annoyance for us," said egg producer representative Wenninger. The egg farmers adhere to the one-year supply contracts with the retail chains, while producers would get a higher price on the spot market. New egg supply contracts are currently being negotiated between retailers and egg farmers. "The Iran war bodes nothing good," said industry representative Wenninger. The increased costs must be compensated by the trade.

The supermarket chains have stocked up more for the Easter festival, according to an APA survey. "We are doing everything we can to supply the local population with enough eggs. This is especially true for Easter," said Spar. "Some types of eggs may be temporarily sold out," but they "deliver every day." How long Spar will keep eggs from Bavaria in its range depends on the supply situation at local farms.

Only Eggs from Austria at Billa and Lidl

According to their own statements, Rewe subsidiaries Adeg, Billa, and Penny only sell fresh eggs and colored eggs from Austria. "We are well supplied with Austrian eggs in all categories. Only occasionally can there be shortages in individual markets for certain package sizes or types of housing," explained Rewe. According to a survey by Marketagent on behalf of Billa, 7 out of 10 Austrians are willing to pay more for eggs from regional and animal-friendly farming at Easter.

According to their own statements, Hofer exclusively offers fresh eggs from Austria. "Temporary shortages, especially before Easter, cannot be completely ruled out," said the discounter. To meet the increased demand for boiled and colored eggs during the Easter season, Hofer temporarily sells Easter eggs from other EU countries. These are "exclusively short-term promotional items," emphasized the discounter. Despite the tense egg supply situation, Lidl states that all fresh and colored Easter eggs come from Austria.

Organic/Free-Range Eggs Increased Less Than General Inflation

Austria has one of the highest organic shares for eggs in the EU comparison. The quantitative organic share of egg purchases in the grocery retail sector was around 12 percent in 2025. Conventional free-range farming accounted for 38 percent and barn farming around 49 percent.

The prices for organic and free-range eggs have risen less sharply compared to the general inflation trend in recent years, while eggs from barn farming cost significantly more. According to AMA Marketing data, organic eggs in domestic supermarkets increased by 18.4 percent between 2021 and 2025 to 4.76 euros (10-pack). The price increase was higher for free-range eggs (+24.7 percent) and barn farming (+42.9 percent). For comparison: Inflation has been around 28 percent since 2021.

With a production of over two billion eggs per year, Austria has a self-sufficiency rate of around 87 percent. By expanding laying hen stalls, the self-sufficiency rate will increase by 5 percentage points, said AMA Marketing representative Martin Greßl at a press conference on Tuesday in Vienna. According to AMA Marketing, Austrians consume an average of around 250 eggs per year. The Austrian food trade relies almost exclusively on Austrian fresh eggs. "This clear commitment to the Austrian egg is not a given," said the AMA Marketing representative. At Easter, colored and boiled eggs are particularly in demand, but there is no mandatory labeling of origin and farming methods. "Those who want to be sure that the egg comes from Austria should look for the red-white-red AMA quality seal or the AMA organic seal when purchasing," said Greßl.

Egg Producers Demand Less Bureaucracy in Stall Construction

To secure domestic sales, the EZG-Frischei continues to demand mandatory egg origin labeling in the gastronomy and food industry. Egg producer representatives are calling for "fair prices" from egg packing stations and supermarket chains. To produce more eggs, there is also a need to reduce bureaucratic hurdles in stall construction.

(APA/Red)

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