PM Browne slams ‘egg cartel’ over price increase amid rising costs

Prime Minister Gaston Browne is unhappy with the Antigua and Barbuda Layer Farmers Association’s decision to raise chicken egg prices, after citing ongoing challenges such as rising temperatures and operational costs.

Browne took to social media today to criticise the “egg cartel” whom he accused of being opportunistic.  

“How can the egg cartel increase prices because of a few heat waves? When it gets cooler are they going to reduce the price? There will be no protection on eggs if they opportunistically increase the price of eggs,” Browne wrote.

From today, a dozen white or brown eggs will move from EC$12 to $14. A case of eggs has increased from EC$360 to $EC420.

The last time eggs were increased in Antigua and Barbuda was in July 2022.

Adrian Hall, Managing Director of the Antigua and Barbuda Layer Farmers Association, told the Antigua and Barbuda Broadcasting Service in an interview on Sunday that recent fluctuations in weather have resulted in birds becoming less productive.

“Once the birds encounter any type of stress, whether it is heat stress or weather coming in from a hurricane or too much rain, it all adds stress to the bird. So it interrupts their laying pattern and then you get a reduction in egg production,” he said

Hall told the state broadcaster that heatwaves last longer than weather brought by a storm and the birds will take some time after temperatures lower to recover to their usual production levels.

He also highlighted that the increase in Antigua and Barbuda’s sales tax is resulting in a near double-digit hit on their overall earnings.

“We are not exempt from the taxes of Antigua and all the costs going up,” Hall said.

Hall would like farmers to receive tax exemptions so they will have more money to invest and grow their businesses.

“If the government wants us to try and be a little bit more competitive on the price, then we need some assistance at the beginning of our production so at the end when our eggs are going out the door the price can be a little bit more attractive,” he said.

He said the association is open to having discussions with the government on ways to lower food prices in Antigua and Barbuda.