Turkish exports may solve US egg crisis if state restrictions are lifted: Sector head
File photo shows freshly packed brown eggs move along a production line at a processing facility. (Adobe Stock Photo)
Ibrahim Afyon, Chairman of Türkiye’s Egg Producers Central Union, stated that Turkish egg exports could play a more significant role in alleviating the ongoing egg crisis in the U.S.
However, he emphasized that Türkiye’s Trade Ministry would need to lift certain restrictive measures currently in place to ensure domestic market stability.
Speaking to Türkiye Today, Afyon pointed to the new tariffs on egg exports, which took effect on Feb. 25, imposing a levy of 50 cents per kilogram (2.20 pounds). He explained that the Trade Ministry introduced this measure to curb potential unjustified price hikes in the domestic market.
Decline in Turkish egg exports over past 5 years
Despite these restrictions, Afyon underscored that Türkiye’s egg production and overall capacity have been expanding each year, positioning the sector to meet increasing external demand. He asserted that Turkish egg producers are fully prepared to boost exports if given the opportunity.
He noted that egg prices in Türkiye are highly sensitive to market perceptions, which could pose a potential risk to relaxing trade barriers.
Afyon also highlighted a steady decline in Türkiye’s egg exports over the past five years. He noted that the share of exports in total domestic production had dropped from 33% in 2020 to just 20% in 2024.
The recent avian flu outbreak in the U.S. has disrupted egg supply nationwide. In January, prices rose 15.2% monthly, marking the largest increase since June 2015, with an annual surge of 53%.
Türkiye will ship over 15,000 metric tonnes (16,534 tons) of eggs, equivalent to approximately 420 million eggs, by June, Afyon previously stated.
