As Easter approaches, Lithuanian egg producers and retailers say there will be no shortage of eggs on store shelves, and prices are expected to remain relatively stable. However, consumers are finding it difficult to source white eggs, which are favoured for traditional Easter egg decorating.
Most eggs in Lithuania have brown shells. Because white eggs are in demand only seasonally – primarily before Easter – local poultry farms rarely produce them. Instead, white eggs are imported from Ukraine, Finland and Latvia.
“We have a limited supply of white eggs for Easter, brought in from Latvia,” said Titas Araskevicius, a representative for the supermarket chain Maxima. “They come from hens raised on litter, not in cages.”
While the United States faces an egg shortage – prompting social media users to suggest various alternatives, including colouring potatoes instead – Lithuania has a wide supply of eggs. Still, choosing the right ones for decorating can be a challenge.
Demand for eggs typically doubles during the Easter period, and the interest in white-shelled eggs increases even more significantly, according to producers.
Prices, meanwhile, have remained largely unchanged compared to last year. A pack of 10 eggs in Lithuanian supermarkets can cost less than EUR 1.50, while prices at local farmers’ markets hover around EUR 3.
Market sellers say egg sales are slower than in previous years. One poultry farmer from the Kaunas district said she managed to sell just 30 out of the 80 eggs she brought to market.
“People often don’t believe the eggs are from our own chickens. I even have photos of the hens and the rooster to prove it,” she told LRT TV. “Many sellers just repackage eggs from supermarkets.”
Retailers say customers are not buying eggs in huge quantities, but few walk away with just one carton during the holiday season.
While consumers tend to choose white eggs for colouring and organic eggs for baking, producers say price remains the deciding factor for most.
“Retail chains are shifting toward eggs from hens raised on litter and phasing out eggs from enriched cages,” said Algirdas Valancius, executive director of the Groward Group. “But for most customers, price is still the main consideration.”
In Poland, egg prices have risen about 10% in recent months due to outbreaks of avian flu that led to the culling of around 8 million laying hens.
In Lithuania, producers warn that farm modernisation costs – needed to move away from caged systems – as well as seasonal disease risks, could eventually drive prices higher. For now, however, no significant changes in supply or cost are expected.
Lithuanian hens lay around 700 million eggs annually, according to industry estimates. (LRT)