British free range egg producers have expressed strong disappointment after the UK Government extended its current trade agreement with Ukraine for a further two years, without introducing quotas on egg imports.
The British Free Range Egg Producers Association (BFREPA) said it had hoped at a minimum that a quota system would be introduced to control the volume of eggs entering the UK. The organisation argues that any UK support for Ukraine should be funded through general taxation and should not come at the expense of domestic egg farmers, who it says operate to world-leading standards on animal welfare, environmental protection and food safety.
BFREPA warned that extending the agreement risks undermining British egg production and investment in the sector. It also raised concerns for consumers, noting that a significant proportion of imported eggs are expected to be used as ingredients in processed foods, where country of origin is not always clear, limiting consumers’ ability to make informed choices.
The association said Ukrainian eggs are not produced to the same standards required of UK producers, pointing out that Ukrainian egg packaging carries the label “non UK standard”. Although the Government has provided assurances that eggs exported to the UK will meet UK requirements under the trade deal, BFREPA said the continued use of such labelling raises doubts and concerns.
While safeguards are included in the agreement, BFREPA said it does not believe they can be activated quickly enough to prevent harm to British egg farmers. It also argued that the thresholds for intervention are set too high, meaning producers could suffer financial damage long before official data reflects the impact. The association highlighted that many UK egg producers are small family businesses that face higher production costs due to scale and high standards, making it difficult to compete with large Ukrainian producers operating at lower standards.
Following the announcement, the egg sector said it would seek an urgent meeting with the Government to discuss its concerns. BFREPA added that it will continue to monitor the situation closely and will call on the Government for support and timely intervention if its members are negatively affected.
BFREPA chairman and Scottish free range egg farmer James Baxter said the association had worked extensively with Defra and the Department for Business and Trade to convey the strength of feeling among its members.
“We support the Ukrainian people as they approach the fourth anniversary of Russia’s illegal invasion,” he said, “but we believe that support should be from general taxation. Extending the existing trade deal is an easy option, but it undermines UK egg farmers and contradicts the Government’s own welfare strategy and assurances that high animal welfare standards would be protected in future trade deals.”
Baxter also questioned the effectiveness of the safeguards in the agreement, saying the thresholds for triggering them are too high and that HMRC data used to assess impacts is often out of date or inaccurate.
He said BFREPA, alongside the British Egg Industry Council, has written to the Prime Minister and relevant departments, met with MPs, and shared evidence it believes shows Ukrainian eggs fall short of UK standards.
“This decision is deeply disappointing and unfair on our members,” he added. “It lets down British egg farmers, undermines the UK’s world-leading animal welfare and food safety standards, and risks weakening national food security at a challenging geopolitical time, as well as consumer confidence in British produce.”