Easter eggs at risk? Swiss demand outstrips supply

Egg consumption in Switzerland has risen in recent years. Keystone-SDA

Just a few days before the Easter holidays, Switzerland is once again faced with a rapidly growing demand for eggs and a domestic production that cannot keep up.

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Retailers do not expect a general shortage but do not exclude temporary gaps on the shelves, especially on peak days.

Easter has always been the peak season for eggs. As Coop confirms to Awp, in the weeks leading up to the holidays, customers buy significantly more frequently, with a marked increase in demand. But the phenomenon is no longer only seasonal. Over the past two years, the demand for eggs, especially free-range eggs, has steadily increased, driven by the trend towards protein in the diet.

According to data from the Federal Office for Agriculture, per capita egg consumption rose from 188 to 198 between 2023 and 2024, an increase of 4.7% in just one year. Figures for 2025 are not yet available, but Daniel Würgler, president of the egg producers’ association Gallosuisse, predicts a further increase, set to exceed the already high levels of the previous year.

On the supply side, Swiss producers have increased their production by about 4-5% in 2025, bringing the total to 1.2 billion eggs per year. This is significant growth, but not enough to compensate for the increase in demand.

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The problem is in fact structural: production cannot be adjusted quickly. “We cannot simply put more hens in the existing hen houses,” explains Würgler. “There are strict space regulations. And it takes four to six years to get a new hen house up and running.”

There is a further complicating factor: in the winter half-year eggs are traditionally much more in demand, and production cannot be scaled up accordingly.

Tense situation

Both Coop and Migros describe the situation as tense, especially around the holidays. Migros is aiming to ensure the shelves are filled by resorting to imports. Coop is also preparing itself by “promptly” expanding its assortment with imported eggs, while reiterating the priority for domestic products.

Lidl Switzerland confirms the picture: the market situation is difficult and there have been partial shortages, it says. However, the discounter says it is confident that it will be able to offer sufficient availability, with alternatives ready in the event of a temporary shortage of a specific product. No retailer, however, can completely rule out some empty shelves on the days of highest demand.

A reassuring aspect for consumers concerns prices: despite the shortage, operators do not expect significant increases. Coop expects egg prices to remain substantially stable in the near future, and the other companies are moving in the same direction, trying to absorb the extra costs without passing them on to customers.

Adapted from Italian by AI/ts

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