Croatia Turns to Egg Imports as Domestic Production Falls by 70 Million
Croatia’s egg production has fallen by 70 million units in three years, increasing the market’s reliance on imports, including supplies from Ukraine. Producers face rising operating costs, while retail prices and the value of egg exports have also increased.
Domestic supply contracts
Croatia’s domestic egg production has fallen by 70 million units in three years, leaving the market increasingly dependent on foreign suppliers. Tportal reported that imports are rising alongside consumer prices as local farms struggle with higher production expenses.
Egg producer Igor Poropat told Dnevnik.hr that electricity, water and labor are becoming more expensive. Farms must also continue investing in equipment and improving their operations, adding to the financial pressure on producers already competing with lower-priced foreign eggs.
Croatia has 2.5 million laying hens registered for egg production, according to the country’s register of laying-hen farms. Poultry farmers have received €1.3 million in payments for keeping these birds, but the continuing decline in output indicates that direct support has not yet reversed the contraction in domestic supply.
Imports, exports and market segmentation
The shortfall is being covered partly by imports from Ukraine. Croatian Agricultural Chamber representative Mladen Jakopović said traders also tend to buy somewhat cheaper eggs from neighboring countries. This puts domestic producers under pressure in the price-sensitive part of the retail market.
At the same time, Croatia’s egg exports have expanded sharply in value. Over the past two years, the value of exported eggs increased from €4 million to €29 million. Jakopović said this trade pattern reflects a market in which Croatia imports eggs at lower prices while selling higher-priced products to surrounding countries.
The figures suggest that growing imports and exports are not contradictory. They point to segmentation by price and destination: inexpensive foreign supplies serve part of domestic demand, while Croatian eggs find buyers in nearby export markets at higher values. However, the source material does not provide shipment volumes, so the increase in export value cannot be separated into price and quantity effects.
Prices, inspections and investment
Retail prices have increased across egg sizes. Since July of the previous year, prices for size L and M eggs have risen by between 7% and 10%, while size S and XL eggs have become as much as 22% more expensive. The increases coincide with lower domestic output, rising imports and higher farm operating costs.
Regulators are also monitoring compliance. Veterinary inspectors carried out 249 checks and identified 24 irregularities involving biosecurity measures. Sanitary inspectors found three egg-labeling violations, and the affected eggs were destroyed. These findings add compliance and traceability concerns to a market already managing tighter local supply.
Mato Čačić of the Agriculture Ministry’s livestock and food-quality directorate said egg producers will be able to apply through primary-production programs for modernization, capacity adjustments and adaptations to climate change. The announced measures could help farms improve efficiency, but tportal warned that without investment and more competitive market conditions, Croatian-produced eggs may become less common on store shelves.