If you’ve noticed that eggs are getting more expensive or increasingly missing from supermarket shelves, you wouldn’t be the only one.

Australia is experiencing an egg shortage as the industry tries to bounce back from bird flu outbreaks. Combined with high demand and the phase-out of caged eggs, it is causing the perfect storm for households.

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Why is there an egg shortage?

Some 2.4 million laying hens have been culled in an attempt to control avian influenza outbreaks in the past year – that’s more than 10 percent of the national flock. 

Australia, so far, has managed to dodge the worst strain, which is ravaging other countries. The US is experiencing one of its worst ever avian influenza outbreaks – tens of millions of poultry birds have died and almost 1,000 herds of dairy cattle have been infected.

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Why are eggs so expensive?

With fewer egg-producing hens, the volume of production is down. And this squeeze on supply is pushing up demand and making eggs more expensive. The last quarter of 2024 saw prices go up 11.2 percent, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. 

It’s also thought that more people are turning to eggs as a cheaper cost-of-living measure, so that may also contributing to demand.

In addition, many farms are now in the middle of transitioning from caged-egg production to barn laid or free range, as part of the government’s promise to ban all battery cages by 2036. And this is further exacerbating production issues.

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When will there be more eggs available?

Over the next six months, we should start to see a return to normal egg supplies, according to the industry body, Egg Farmers of Australia. 

But other reports suggest that shortages could continue for at least another three years, as it will take time for the industry to get back on track. 

Farmers have to wear 20 percent of outbreak costs through levies, regardless of whether their property experienced an outbreak or not. They’re often then forced to pass on these costs to consumers.

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What can I substitute for eggs?

While we wait out the shortage, it’s a good time to give some egg substitutes a try. A caveat: it will depend on what you are making as to which ingredient will work best – for texture and flavour – and may require some trial and error. If you have any vegan friends, they may well have some good advice to share. 

In baking, there are many different egg-free alternatives you can try instead of eggs. They include: 

• ground flaxseed
• aquafaba (the liquid in a can of chickpeas or other legumes)
• baking powder mixed with vegetable oil and water
• yoghurt
• silken tofu
• mashed banana

We successfully road-tested ground flaxseed, aquafaba and baking powder/vegetable oil/water in our most popular banana bread recipe. You can find the egg-free recipe, as well as more about which substitute delivered the best results, here. 

If you’re craving scrambled eggs – or another egg-heavy breakfast – firm tofu, chickpea flour or vegan egg replacer could get you over the line.

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