The NFU has demanded action to protect egg producers as Tesco becomes the latest supermarket to ration sales amid the mounting crisis.
The UKs largest retailer has announced that customers will now only be allowed to purchase three units per visit, joining Asda, Aldi and Lidl which had already limited pack sales.
Last week, Sainsburys came under fire after opting to sell imported eggs from Italy, prompting warnings for vulnerable groups not to eat them runny.
Meanwhile Merseyside-based farmer Olly Harrison took to social media to lambast the store, explaining that despite cost rises of 40p per dozen for producers, the store had increased its price to farmers by just 10p, while charging customers at least an extra 1. He said this was leaving many in the industry with no choice but to cease trading.
Mr Harrison toldFarmers Guardianthat the situation could not be allowed to continue and that action was urgently required to address failings in the supply chain.
He said: It is time Government sat up and listened to what farmers have been saying about broken supply chains. Food rationing in the 21stcentury is ludicrous in a country that has land and climate like ours.
The NFU has also appealed to the Government, urging Defra to investigate whether an exceptional market conditions declaration should be made under the Agriculture Act 2020, given the severe disruption which egg producers and UK consumers are experiencing.
Such a move would enable Defra to use its statutory powers to provide much needed support to egg producers whose livelihoods are under threat.
NFU President Minette Batters said: The NFU raised concerns about the functionality of the supply chain with Defra a number of months ago in the hope of avoiding the situation we have now, with some retailers having to limit UK consumers access to eggs. This is surely a prima facie case of severe disturbance to an agricultural market.
Robert Thompson, chair of the NFU Scotland working group said: "Egg supplies to retailers are very tight and shelves will be empty, not due to AI as the retailers will suggest, but the retailers approach to egg packers.
Most retailers have ignored requests from all sectors of the industry for a sustainable price to be offered in response to exceptionally high input costs, and that has resulted in 5.5 million fewer chicks being placed on UK farms."
Unlike England and Wales, Scotland has had relatively few outbreaks and there is no housing order in effect.
However, the situation is worsening as more than 100,000 birds have been culled at three Scottish farms in a matter of days. Ayrshire farmer Billy Robb has reportedly lost 32,000 hens last week, while NFU Scotland revealed 72,000 birds had also been taken out at two farms in Aberdeenshire in the last 10 days - taking the total to 104,000.
The union has called for a housing order to be put in place but the Scottish Government has rejected the move, saying it will continue to monitor the situation.
