Cheap eggs from Ukraine flooding Croatian market

The Croatian egg market is facing major challenges as a surge of cheap imports from Ukraine floods the shelves, leaving local producers struggling to compete, Novi List reports.

Croatian consumers are seeing egg prices drop ahead of Easter—thanks to a sharp increase in Ukrainian imports.

Imports Quadruple, Local Farmers Struggle

Croatia’s egg industry is relatively small, with around two million laying hens in total. In contrast, just one major Ukrainian producer operates with up to five million hens.

This scale difference makes it nearly impossible for Croatian farmers to compete on price.

In 2024, Croatia imported approximately 15,000 tonnes of eggs—a 70% increase from the previous year. The majority of these came from Ukraine, causing a sharp drop in local wholesale prices. Domestic farmers had prepared five times the usual supply for the Easter season, but the flood of imports made it difficult for them to sell at competitive prices.

Branko Bobetić, president of Croatiastočar, told Novi List the impact of these imports on local producers.

“This is a direct hit to Croatian farmers. The whole of Europe is struggling to compete with Ukrainian producers, which is why the European Commission has introduced quotas on duty-free imports. But now that these quotas have been met, additional tariffs should follow.”

Dario Horvat, a small-scale egg producer from Kešinci near Đakovo, has had to rethink his business strategy. He reduced his flock to 1,300 hens and now sells directly to bakeries, small shops, and market stalls rather than through supermarkets.

“Retail chains squeeze domestic farmers with low prices, discount demands, and expensive shelf space. We couldn’t keep up, so we shifted to direct sales.”

Currently, the price of eggs in Croatian supermarkets varies widely. Some foreign retailers have put six-egg packs on sale for €1.79, while a pack of 10 sells for as low as €2.39. Meanwhile, locally produced free-range eggs cost around €2 per pack.

Beyond imports, local farmers are also worried about reports that Ukrainian companies are planning to build large-scale poultry farms in Croatia. Tomo Mitrović, who runs a poultry farm near Đakovo, is particularly concerned. “This would be devastating for small producers like me. These megafarms will set prices we simply can’t match.”

Calls for Protection

The Croatian Agricultural Chamber has urged the EU to step in and prevent market distortions caused by large-scale Ukrainian imports. Many European countries, including Poland, Hungary, and Romania, have voiced similar concerns.