"Basket cases" - New welfare regulation for laying hens drives the price trough the roof.

"Basket cases"- New welfare regulation for laying hens drives the price trough the roof.Belgian Egg processors sound the alarm bell.(SD)While American citizens bitch and moan over $4 gasoline, the Europeans have found that Environmentalist Lunacy and Socialism (also known as ELS or Obamasitis) is about to create shortages at not just the breakfast table but across the entire European Union and United Kingdom, but in the very goods they take for granted to bake or flavor other foods. The European Egg Processors Association posted the first warning shot by the UBP (Union for Belgian Egg Products) via their press release of February 22, 2012.
Since the new welfare regulation for laying hens came into force on 1 January 2012, farmers in many member states are busy adapting their production conform the legislation, or stopping their activities.Furthermore the consumption of table eggs increased due to the cold weather.
All these elements have resulted in a situation where the supply cannot satisfy the demand. Many egg processors have difficulties in supplying the contracted quantities as there are simply not enough eggs.
What further complicates matters is, that this scarcity of eggs has made the egg prices shoot sky-high which makes the situation financially unbearable for many egg processors.
Uh, what about mayonnaise, baked goods, breads, etc? Think those prices will drop with higher fuel prices, a possible war with Iran, and this insanity?
The problem consumers are about to discover is that they are bidding against large multi-national food manufacturers who need eggs also to make their products.
So the average schmuck will unwittingly be cast into a bidding war against a Unilever or Nestle to obtain their favorite breakfast food. This will obviously cause the retail price to shoot up dramatically as the wholesale price is up over € 4 per kilo per the article above.
“It’s now no longer a question of price, it’s a question of supply,” said one industry source who asked to be anonymous. “I estimate that within three to four weeks some companies will be at breaking point.” It’s these kind of regulations and insanity along with the price consequences coming here soon.Hmmmm......"An egg, an egg my kingdom for an egg?"Read the full story here.