Canada’s egg-grading companies have usually filed applications to gain imports of low-priced eggs to meet the Easter market, but this year they have sky-rocketed.
Data from the federal government show the supplementary import permits the federal government issued after the applicants said they couldn’t get enough from Canadian farmers.
Usually the imports are from the United States at prices less than half the grading stations pay Canadian farmers, but because of avian influenza reducing the laying-hen population, U.S. eggs are at an all-time high this Easter season and higher than in Canada.
Egg Farmers of Canada was asked repeatedly for the information, but failed to respond the Ontario Farmer.
Global Affairs Canada did respond with these figures for the first four months of each year.
Year | Total Quantity of Supplementary Imports for Eggs (dozens) |
Jan-Mar 2020 | 980,038 |
Jan-Mar 2021 | 1,680,958 |
Jan-Mar 2022 | 538,200 |
Jan-Mar 2023 | 6,042,565 |
Jan-Mar 2024 | 1,872,977 |
Jan-Mar 2025 | 6,088,879 |