Somerfield has started selling imported French free range eggs due to a shortage of British supplies. Somerfield said it could not get enough domestically-produced free range eggs to meet demand. Information will appear in its stores telling customers about the move.

Somerfield said more than 55% of its free range egg supply would still be British. It is working with suppliers to return its stock to 100% British as soon as possible. Somerfield said in a statement, “Despite being one of the only food retailers to agree such a contract for British free range egg supply, we find ourselves now in a position where our supplier cannot fully fulfil our requirement. Due to the shortage of British free range eggs we have just started to purchase a percentage of northern French free range eggs in order to fulfil customer demand. We are working with our suppliers to ensure full availability of British free range eggs returns as soon as possible.”

Commenting on Somerfield's decision to import free range eggs from France, National Farmers' Union (NFU) poultry council chairman Charles Bourns said, “I think it is a sad thing that this has happened due to the current shortage of free range. I think the price should have gone up to get more investment in industry and more British eggs being produced, then the price would have gone down again.”

NamNews - Tuesday 28th November 2006

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