Industry criticises govt’s welfare double standard in extended Ukraine egg trade deal

Ministers said the extension formed part of the UK’s ongoing support for Ukraine as the country approaches the fourth anniversary of Russia’s illegal invasion. However, the national egg industry argues that the cost of that support is being borne by British farmers, who are already facing rising production costs driven by ever-higher animal welfare, environmental and food safety requirements.

The decision has also concerned many animal welfare organisations, which had urged the government not to export higher welfare standards through UK regulation only to allow eggs produced to lower standards overseas to be imported tariff-free and compete directly with British production.  

The groups have repeatedly warned that such an approach risks undermining domestic farming while failing to deliver meaningful welfare improvements internationally. 
 
Gary Ford, head of policy and producer engagement at the British Free Range Egg Producers Association, said the extension of the agreement was extremely disappointing.  

He added that BFREPA had hoped that, at the very least, the government would introduce a quota system to provide some level of control over the volume of imports entering the UK. 

‘Serious concerns and doubts’

Mr Ford stressed that support for Ukraine must not come at the expense of British farmers. He said any assistance provided by the UK government should be funded through general taxation and not through trade policy that disadvantages egg producers who have invested heavily in meeting world-leading standards of animal health and welfare, environmental protection and food safety. 
 
He added that the decision was “unfair” both to producers and consumers. “British farmers have invested significantly in egg production to meet high standards, while a significant proportion of imported eggs are expected to enter the processed food sector as ingredients, meaning consumers will have no clear indication of country of origin and no ability to make an informed choice,” he said. 
 
BFREPA has also continued to raise concerns about the equivalence of standards. Mr Ford said that Ukrainian eggs are not produced to the same standards required of UK producers, noting that Ukrainian egg packaging itself carries the label “non-UK standard”.  

While BFREPA has been reassured that eggs exported to the UK will meet UK requirements as part of the trade deal, he said the continued use of such labelling raises “serious concerns and doubts”. 
Although safeguard mechanisms exist within the agreement, BFREPA said it does not believe they can be activated quickly enough to prevent harm to British egg farmers.  

Mr Ford warned that many producers are small family businesses which, through a combination of higher costs driven by high standards on the farm and limited scale, cannot compete with very large Ukrainian businesses operating at lower standards of production.  

He also said intervention thresholds are set far too high, meaning financial damage could occur long before official data reflects the impact. 

Following the announcement, the egg sector will now be seeking an urgent meeting with the government to discuss its concerns. 

‘Government’s double standards’ 

The criticism has been echoed and intensified by the British Egg Industry Council, which has accused the government of operating double standards that undermine both producers and consumers.  

The organisation said that the tariff-free extension will see millions more eggs from battery cage systems, banned in the UK for more than a decade, enter the market, largely through ingredient use. 
Industry frustration has been heightened further by the government’s recent indication that it wants to ban the use of enriched cages in the UK while continuing to allow eggs from those systems to be freely imported. 
 
Nick Allen, chief executive of the BEIC, said that the government’s actions showed a “disregard for the consequences of its policies”.  

He added that the approach was “deeply flawed” and raised serious questions about what outcomes the government expects to achieve, particularly given food safety concerns that have already emerged elsewhere in Europe in relation to Ukrainian eggs. 

James Baxter, chairman of BFREPA and a Scottish free-range egg farmer, said the organisation had worked extremely hard to convey the strength of feeling among members to Defra and the Department for Business and Trade.  

Mr Baxter expressed that the producers see “deep unfairness” in the continued import of eggs from Ukraine, and while they support the Ukrainian people, that support should come from general taxation. 

BFREPA and BEIC have written to the prime minister and the government departments, met with MPs and shared photographic and anecdotal evidence showing that Ukrainian eggs are falling well short of the high standards UK producers operate to.  

Mr Baxter said it was therefore “deeply disappointing and unfair on members” that the decision had been taken. 
 
He concluded that the announcement not only badly lets down British egg farmers but also undermines the UK’s world-leading animal welfare and food safety standards, the nation’s food security at a challenging geopolitical time, and British consumers who value and support British produce. 

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