Organic egg producers need certainty, not more questions

We have been proudly producing organic eggs for over 10 years. 

Like all organic egg producers, when it comes to sourcing replacement birds, managing inputs, or investing in the future of our business, we often need to take business decisions many years in advance.

However, we are only able to do so if we have confidence in the future regulatory framework for organic production.

The current uncertainty surrounding the derogation, which allows non-organic pullets up to 18 weeks of age onto organic holdings, makes those decisions increasingly difficult.

Defra has extended the derogation until July 2027, which is welcome news. However, while the extension provides some short-term reassurance, in our view it does little to address the longer-term uncertainty facing organic egg producers.  

The future of this derogation has become increasingly uncertain following the UK's decision to pursue a SPS (Sanitary and Phytosanitary) agreement with the EU.

Organic regulations are included within the scope of these discussions, and the UK will be full adopting the EU regulations.

One significant difference between UK and EU organic rules is that the EU no longer permits the use of this derogation. Under EU regulations, pullets must be organically reared from three days old.

The July 2027 date is fast approaching for a sector that plans years ahead.

Organic egg producers typically make decisions on pullet sourcing, production cycles and flock replacement around two years in advance.

For us, simply extending the derogation until next summer does not provide the certainty needed to make informed investment decisions.

The reality is that, if the derogation were removed in July 2027 without a viable alternative in place, many producers, ourselves included, would face significant challenges sourcing replacement birds.

As things stand, the UK supply chain is not yet configured to operate without the derogation at the scale required by the organic egg sector.  

In our view, this is not a challenge that can be solved overnight.

When EU producers moved away from similar arrangements, they were given long transition periods, with some transitions graduated up to 10 years. They were also done within a policy environment that actively encouraged the growth of organic production. They had a clear direction of travel and the time needed to make changes. That level of certainty is something UK producers simply do not have today.

In the UK, we currently face a very different situation.

Producers are being asked to prepare for possible regulatory change without knowing what the final outcome will be, when it might be implemented, or whether sufficient transition periods will be available. From my perspective, all this uncertainty makes it extremely difficult for businesses to plan. 

Our concern is not just for individual farms but for the future of the UK organic egg sector as a whole.

Without clarity and a realistic transition plan, we risk seeing domestic production gradually decline as producers leave the sector or reduce output.

At the same time, demand for organic eggs is continuing to grow, potentially resulting in increased imports from overseas. 

If the objective is to maintain a thriving domestic organic egg sector, producers need clear answers on the future of this derogation as soon as possible. Where changes are required, there must be sufficient implementation periods and appropriate support to allow all parts of the supply chain to adapt. 

Organic egg producers are ready to plan for the future. What we urgently need now is certainty about what that future looks like.