Consumers Backing Away from Higher Priced Cage-Free Eggs

As more companies pledge to source eggs from cage-free hens, research shows consumers are backing away from the higher priced products. According to Marketplace’s website 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.

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