Egg Shortage Nightmare Could Be Repeated 攤商:過年期間可能缺蛋 已提前排單叫貨

Convenience store chain FamilyMart has announced that it is raising the price of tea eggs from NT$10 to NT$13 effective Dec. 28 to reflect the rising price of eggs. Meanwhile, food vendors said they have been warned that there might be an egg shortage over the Lunar New Year.

Tea eggs are one of the most popular convenience store foods. Convenience store chain FamilyMart recently issued a statement saying it is raising the price of tea eggs from NT$10 to NT$13 effective Dec. 28 to reflect the rising price of eggs, which has increased by over 40 percent during the past several years. However, people will still be able to purchase 10 eggs for NT$100 if they use the FamilyMart app.

Resident: “It's still inexpensive. It's NT$10, and a NT$3 increase isn't much.”

Resident: “It's too expensive. (You might as well buy your own raw eggs.) Yes, it's better to buy and cook them yourself.”

Other convenience store chains have not yet announced whether they will follow suit. Meanwhile, at traditional markets, people can still get a catty of eggs for a reasonable NT$50 or a box of organic eggs for "over NT$100." Proprietors said they haven't yet felt any obvious effects of inflation, but some food vendors said they were notified by suppliers that there could be another egg shortage during the Lunar New Year period.

Mr. Hsieh, Food Vendor: “My egg supplier told me I should place my order in advance for the Lunar New Year period or else I won't be able to get anything.”

Chen Chi-chung, Agriculture Minister: “Farmers will do their best to produce as long as they can maintain a certain profit level. Second of all, the government will do its best to stabilize the costs of bulk goods, especially fodder, as quickly as possible. ”

Poultry farmers say the egg supply will drop if the cold weather continues, and imports are hampered by the bird flu. In response, the Council of Agriculture said there's no need to worry about the egg supply ahead of the holiday and prices will be determined by market mechanisms.

便利商店熱騰騰的茶葉蛋，全日時段都是人氣商品，連鎖便利商店全家發布聲明，因近年蛋價平均漲幅超過4成，因此將從12月28日起調整售價，從每顆10元漲到13元，不過也同步推出促銷，使用App一次買10顆，售價100元。

民眾說道：「其實是不貴，因為我們習慣10塊錢一顆，漲3塊錢算少。」

民眾指出：「太貴了，（自已買生蛋就好？）對，自己買自己煮也好。」

目前，其他連鎖便利商店業者都還沒有調漲茶葉蛋價格的計畫。而實際走訪傳統市場，市面上仍有一斤50元相對平價雞蛋，一盒售價破百元的有機蛋也不少，店家表示，近期還沒有明顯感受到源頭漲價，不過有小吃攤商則透露，已經接到盤商通知，過年期間可能重演缺蛋惡夢。

攤商謝先生提及：「蛋商有跟我講說過年要叫貨，過年要提早叫，不然會缺貨買不到。」

農委會主委陳吉仲表示：「在農民至少維持一定的利潤的時候，農民會全力來生產，第2個政府還是會盡全力地，來讓整個大眾物資，尤其飼料的成本盡快地可以維持穩定。」

養雞業者分析，若是寒流持續，雞蛋供貨量就會較少，而進口蛋則是受到禽流感影響，近期本來就比較少，對此，農委會強調過年前雞蛋供應無虞，至於蛋價則是取決於市場機制。