<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>An outbreak of Avian Influenza or bird flu on a small number of properties in Victoria has left Australian shoppers worried that current egg shortages could drag on even longer.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The February bird flu outbreak is separate to the 2024 outbreak that devastated the egg industry and left supermarket shelves bare.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Though that original outbreak has since been contained, the effects are still being felt around the country and supermarkets intend to continue to enforce purchase limits following the latest outbreak.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-trade-war-eu-retaliates-against-us-trade-moves-and-hits-beef-whiskey-motorcycles-with-targeted-tariffs/4aa62117-1875-41f4-988f-e7024c32de81" target="_blank"><strong><span>Canada and EU retaliate against Trump, hitting beef, whiskey, motorcycles</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Rowan McMonnies, managing director of Australian Eggs, told 9News that though the shortages are ongoing it's important to remember that egg supply in Australia has not collapsed.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The industry is still supplying 18 million eggs every day [and] is recovering well from the 2024 incidents but unfortunately there has been a further outbreak in February which has extended the disruption to egg supply," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The industry was on track to balance up supply but now there is some further work to do."</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/egg-shortage-australia-update-coles-woolworths/bd4aa487-43c2-4344-9770-4c14bb1b2683" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/donald-trump-billionaires-lost-money-supporters-in-pictures/2f25bcae-f0ff-4de9-b45a-4a24c86c5f76" target="_blank"><strong><span>All the billionaires who have lost money by supporting Donald Trump</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>McMonnies predicted that, despite this setback, consumers should see relief by the end of the year.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A return to normal supply should also help ease the rise in egg prices, which have spiked by up to 30 per cent over the last six months in some cases.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"As in all industries, prices are driven by supply and demand and it is expected supply issues will ease as the year unfolds," McMonnies said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/russia-ukraine-ceasefire-plan-more-details-needed-says-vladimir-putin/9bf4bbba-1be7-414c-9c3a-0bce2120561e" target="_blank"><strong><span>Ukraine calls Putin's bluff, so how will he react?</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A Coles spokesperson confirmed to 9news.com.au that purchase limits on eggs will remain in place as the supermarket giant closely monitors the latest outbreak in Victoria.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We will continue to work closely with all our suppliers to ensure eggs remain available for our customers," they said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"To manage availability, we will continue to maintain the purchase limits that have been in place since the first outbreak in Victoria in 2024.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We kindly ask our customers to consider others in their community and purchase only what they need."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The spokesperson added that Coles will continue to stock egg-alternatives while it works through the current egg industry supply challenges.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>WATCH: Coles to keep egg purchase limits</span></strong></div></div><div class="player__video-container"><img alt="" src="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/hx8xJkosDdFMhxCPBCa3-v1eQzA=/750x0/https%3A%2F%2Fvms-network-images-prod.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com%2F2025%2F02%2F671062%2Fpickerimage.jpg"/></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Woolworths is taking a similar approach, a spokesperson confirmed to 9news today.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The 2024 outbreak reduced the number of laying hens in Australia, which unfortunately will take a while longer to rebuild," they said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"In the meantime, the egg industry has been working to boost supply market-wide.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Our egg supply has continued to improve and we are working closely with our suppliers to source as many eggs as possible."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>9News understands existing purchase limits will remain in place at Woolworths until further notice.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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