As more companies pledge to source eggs from cage-free hens, research shows consumers are backing away from the higher-priced products.
Marketplace Sustainability’s website reports that despite the wave of companies going cage-free, the premium-priced eggs are not selling well. The sluggish sales reportedly are making producers hesitate to invest in cage-free systems. The sales figures indicate a reversal from research last year because avian influenza increased all egg prices higher. Now, conventional egg prices are down considerably, making cage-free eggs pricey by comparison. One egg market analyst asked “now they (consumers) go into a store, and you can buy a couple dozen in some cases for under a buck, are you going to still pay $2-$3 for cage-free eggs?” while adding that cage-free sales are suffering. The changes have prompted some producers to delay or even cancel their orders for cage-free equipment from leading providers of cage-free housing.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting news service