The British poultry industry is concerned about imports of Turkish eggs. Price levels are low and are approaching those of eggs from Ukraine, which has so far been by far the largest supplier.
In June 2026, a shipment of eggs from Turkey appeared on the UK market for the first time. Volumes were still limited, but those Turkish eggs were significantly cheaper than eggs from British producers or from other foreign suppliers.
Given the scale of Turkey’s egg sector, the British Free Range Eggs Producers Association (BFREPA) fears that much more could follow.
Large price difference
A summary of British customs data, cited by BFREPA, shows that more than 40 tonnes of shell eggs from Turkey crossed the border in June 2026. Those eggs had a declared value of almost €60,000, which implies a price of nearly €1.50 per kg.
Import duties still have to be added because Turkey does not have free access to the UK market, but even then those eggs remain far cheaper than other eggs currently on the market.
The price including duties is close to that of eggs from Ukraine, by far the largest supplier, with more than 1,900 tonnes in June 2026 alone. Eggs from countries such as Poland or the Netherlands are well above €2.60 per kg.
Filling supply gaps
Turkey has around 114 million layers, 3 times as many as the UK. Of total production, 15-20% can be exported, while the remainder covers domestic demand. Exports are subject to a national quota, but this was recently increased from 1,000 to 6,000 tonnes per month.
BFREPA noted that the UK shipment arrived just 2 months after that increase. Part of Turkey’s egg exports had traditionally gone to Iran, but that route has been largely closed by US sanctions.
National egg exporters have also recently shown that they can act quickly, when they shipped 15,000 tonnes to the US in 2025 after shortages emerged there due to avian influenza outbreaks.
Sharp rise in imports
The UK currently imports around 1.6 billion eggs per year, 60% more than 5 years ago. As noted, the largest suppliers are Ukraine and Poland, with additional volumes from the Netherlands and Belgium. Most of those foreign eggs come from battery cage systems that are banned in the UK itself, as in the EU. The British Egg Industry Council previously said those eggs are not systematically tested and inspected at the border.
BFREPA said: “The conditions under which imports from Ukraine were able to grow sharply without attracting attention apply equally to Turkey. And that country has a much larger poultry flock and a government that actively promotes exports.”
Salmonella outbreak
There is also a current public health issue. The UK is experiencing a major Salmonella outbreak, with 474 cases so far, including 2 deaths. The UK public health agency attributes this outbreak to eggs imported from abroad.
BFREPA said: “No one has so far said there is a link with Turkey, but it does mean egg producers are pointing the finger because imported eggs are already making people ill and the lowest-cost supplier has now appeared in the data.”
