Consumers across the state have been scrambling to find eggs, as supermarkets restock after an avian influenza outbreak.
However, local retailers and grocers may have cracked the market, managing to fill the gap, either buying directly from producers, or circumventing long supply chains altogether.
The bird flu outbreak saw farms and private chook pens put on lockdown in NSW, the ACT, Victoria and WA, with producers required to humanely cull tens of thousands of poultry animals to prevent a further outbreak. The last restrictions in the state were lifted in the Hawkesbury region this January, but on Saturday night, a different strain of avian influenza was detected at a poultry property in northern Victoria.
Diagnostic testing performed by Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness at Geelong confirmed high pathogenicity H7N8, which is different to the strain that impacted poultry farms during 2024.
Despite the impact of the influenza outbreak still causing a cluck at the larger supermarkets, local stockists have said there is ‘no reason’ supermarket shelves should be empty. One stockist said there are plenty of eggs available to sell, but at prices that see the big chains running.
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With producers right in the neighborhood, residents from across Cowra, Woodstock and Canowindra have been spoiled for their choice of fresh eggs straight from the coop. The Craft Shop on Kendal Street, as well as Galea’s Fruit & Veg, Woodstock Post Office all selling local produce, even as supermarket stock varies due to high demand and low supply.
Woodstock Paddock Eggs’ Naomi Lawler said the demand on her hens has only increased.
“I wish I had another 200 chickens so I could keep up with demand,” she said.
Ms Lawler was going to wait and see if demand eased, but its as busy as ever on her free range chook farm.
“I’d like to think people are starting to care about the ethics of it too, knowing how their food is grown and where things come from. Some chooks can have a pretty tough life,” Ms Lawler said.
Both Woolworths and Coles have introduced temporary limits on the number of eggs available for purchase in store, and Aldi stores across the country have also stocked alternate products on shelves initially holding fresh eggs. But for the savvy shoppers across our region, a short detour can keep the morning fry-up on the breakfast plate by staying local.
Whether a temporary shift to farm gate fresh will poach dedicated egg enjoyers from the big supermarkets remains to be seen, with temporary shortages set to ease as restocking begins.
