Egg Price Increase Creates Headaches 蛋價調漲重回歷史高點 早餐店業者苦撐

Chains Formosa Chang, Louisa Coffee, and Bafang Dumpling are the latest eateries to announce price increases. Meanwhile, the egg price increase on Feb. 13 is causing headaches for breakfast eateries. Also, Taiwan's CPI grew by 3.04 percent in January, the largest increase in the past half year.

The price of a poached egg has been increased to NT$15. Breakfast eateries have been continuously updating their price lists as of late.

Resident: “I'm spending about NT$50-60 now, compared to around NT$30 before.”

Resident: “An egg pancake used to be NT$50 or NT$60, now it's NT$55 or NT$65.”

Some eateries are voluntarily absorbing cost increases instead of raising prices to keep their customers, but the recent egg price increase to a historical high has complicated matters.

Breakfast Eatery Proprietor: “Prices are really very expensive now. I'm repaying my customers for their loyalty.”

The Council of Agriculture said it respects market mechanisms, but the TPP has received complaints from egg farmers that the COA has reflected trends in egg prices. In addition to the weather and avian influenza, what needs to be resolved is the industrial structure and what needs to be investigated is why there is such a huge gap between the production and sales prices.

Chen Wan-hui, Legislator (TPP): “The COA's measures to control prices ended up creating a lot of room for profit in the middle segment. Who received all these intermediary profits?”

Many proprietors have raised prices or are considering doing so. The CPI grew by 3.04 percent in January, the largest increase in the past half year. Scholars believe this was due to the Lunar New Year festival.

Dachrahn Wu, Director, Research Ctr. for Taiwan Econ. Development: “My personal view is that the price situation after February won't be as grim as last year's.”

Scholars say Russia's invasion of Ukraine and climate change have affected global food production, so prices will remain high in the short term. However, there is a chance that the CPI growth for the entire year will be under two percent.

食品行裡，乾貨、罐頭，玲琅滿目，唯獨裝雞蛋的籃子裡，空無一物。

顧客指出：「就是這樣啊，（蛋）貴誰敢買。」

食品行陳老闆說道：「叫蛋狀況就是比平常一般的量，還要減少大概3到4成左右。」

雞蛋供應量吃緊，從13日開始，每台斤調漲2元，產地價每台斤42.5元，批發價52元，重回歷史高點，不只來買蛋的民眾撲空，常要叫蛋的便當店老闆，同樣很困擾。

便當店老闆提及：「從以前一箱500多，漲到現在已經1000了，而且還叫不到蛋。」

受到天氣變化以及農民進行生產雞群的調整影響，農委會預計2到4週後，產量才會逐漸開始回穩。

農委會畜牧處副處長江文全說明：「按照目前一個生產排程，跟養雞群一些狀況，整個換羽休產大概要2至4週，才會慢慢地恢復投產，這個部分大概是整個後續產銷的變動，我們也會持續觀察。」

養雞協會預估目前雞蛋日產量在11.3萬箱左右，目前減少大約5000箱的產能，要完成老雞汰換，恢復產能，可能要到清明節後。

中華民國養雞協會蛋雞事業產銷督導委員會執行長陳進丁表示：「應該還有一波淘汰，老雞淘汰的數量，所以想要回穩，應該是比較緩慢一點，清明節以後了吧。」

有量販和超市業者表示，目前正常供應雞蛋，價格並沒有調漲，要和消費者共度這一波蛋荒危機。