Thailand has asked egg exporters to reduce shipments by 30 per cent to 50 per cent through December 2026 as severe flooding disrupts supplies and kills millions of laying hens.
The move is aimed at protecting domestic egg supplies and preventing further price increases after flood-hit farms in Chachoengsao province, east of Bangkok, lost about 3 million hens, according to Jirawuth Suwanna-arj, deputy director-general of Thailand’s Department of Internal Trade.
The government is also working to source eggs from farms that were not affected by the floods and extend the productive lifespan of laying hens to help maintain output.
Exporters Asked to Cut Shipments
Thailand’s Department of Internal Trade has asked the Egg Producers Association and major farms to reduce egg exports by between 30 per cent and 50 per cent until the end of the year.
The measure follows discussions with egg producers, exporters, wholesalers and retailers as authorities assess how much supply remains available for the domestic market.
Thai authorities had already asked exporters earlier in October to reduce shipments or postpone exports for two to three weeks, with the latest request extending the effort through December as the government assesses the impact of the floods.
The department has also asked exporters to submit weekly shipment plans for October and November so officials can closely monitor domestic supplies.
Thailand consumes roughly 12 million eggs a day, according to the Department of Internal Trade.
About 3 Million Hens Killed
The biggest blow to production has come from flood damage to farms in Chachoengsao.
Around 3 million laying hens were killed in the affected area, according to the Department of Internal Trade.
The loss is significant because laying hens are the foundation of the country’s daily egg production. Flooding can also disrupt feed deliveries, farm operations and transportation routes even where poultry farms themselves remain intact.
Thailand’s Layer Farmers Association said the country normally produces around 42 million to 43 million eggs a day. It said the immediate challenge was not necessarily an overall shortage but the difficulty of transporting eggs from farms to distribution points because floodwaters had disrupted key routes.
Government Looks for Eggs Elsewhere
To prevent shortages at retailers, authorities are surveying unaffected areas and asking egg collectors to source additional supplies from farms that remain operational.
The Department of Internal Trade is also coordinating distribution to retailers to ensure eggs reach areas experiencing tighter supplies.
Officials have asked producers to maintain normal distribution channels, particularly to major retail and wholesale outlets, while monitoring prices to prevent excessive increases.
The government has asked producers to maintain a farm-gate price of four baht per egg, or about S$0.15, as part of efforts to keep prices stable for consumers.
Laying Hens to Stay Productive Longer
Another measure involves keeping laying hens in production for longer.
Authorities are working with industry groups to extend the productive lifespan of hens from around 80 weeks to 85 weeks.
Earlier guidance from the Department of Internal Trade asked farmers to keep hens producing for an additional three to five weeks to preserve the number of laying birds and increase the supply of eggs reaching the market.
The measure is intended to provide additional output while farmers recover from flood-related losses and replacement birds are not yet available.
Floods Have Hit 51 Provinces
The egg supply problems are part of a much wider flooding crisis in Thailand.
Flooding has affected 51 provinces since Sept. 16, with 31 deaths reported by the Interior Ministry as of Oct. 6. Bangkok was declared a disaster-affected zone after receiving 320mm of rain over three days, roughly the amount it would normally receive throughout the entire month of September.
The country’s weather agency has warned that rainfall could increase again in several regions.
Thailand’s Meteorological Department reported that heavy to very heavy rain had already affected central and eastern areas, including Chachoengsao and Bangkok, during late September.
Further rainfall was expected in eastern and central Thailand, including Bangkok and its surrounding areas, from Oct. 9 to Oct. 13.
That could complicate the recovery of affected farms and the movement of eggs from producing regions to major markets.
Singapore Faces Potential Impact
Thailand’s decision to reduce exports could have a particularly noticeable effect on Singapore, one of its largest overseas egg markets.
Thailand exported eggs worth about 1.7 billion baht (US$50.5 million) last year. Singapore accounted for 79 per cent of those exports, while Hong Kong received about 9 per cent, according to Thai agriculture ministry data.
That means Singapore could be among the markets most affected if Thai producers significantly reduce shipments over the coming weeks.
However, the export reduction is not a complete ban. Thailand is asking companies to scale back shipments so that more eggs remain available for domestic consumers while authorities monitor production and flood recovery.
Supply Versus Price Pressures
The government is now trying to balance two competing concerns: ensuring enough eggs reach Thai consumers while avoiding excessive pressure on farmers and retail prices.
The Layer Farmers Association has said Thailand’s overall egg supply remains manageable, although transportation from affected areas has become more difficult.
The association also said producers were working to maintain fair prices and did not plan to increase recommended farm-gate prices at the time, in an effort to avoid placing an additional burden on consumers.
For now, authorities are relying on a combination of reduced exports, supplies from unaffected farms, longer production periods for laying hens and closer monitoring of distribution.
But with more rain forecast and millions of hens already lost, the situation could remain challenging until floodwaters recede and affected farms are able to resume normal operations.
Thailand’s egg industry will therefore be closely watched in the coming weeks, particularly by major export markets such as Singapore, as authorities try to restore supply without allowing prices to rise sharply.
