Provisioners ‘Must Adapt’ to Rising French Egg Prices Warn Experts

France’s ban on battery farming has doubled egg prices and put suppliers out of business – but how will it affect superyacht provisioners?


Superyacht provisioners in France and its surrounding areas must prepare their budgets for higher spending on eggs and related supplies before this summer’s Mediterranean yacht season, warn industry experts.

 

Egg prices have doubled in France over the past year following the French government’s decision to implement European regulations on the conditions of caring for chickens. The new measures include the outlawing of battery farming since January 1st of this year.

 

France’s egg producers have already felt the impact of the new laws. While some producers say that the changes are long overdue, others have gone out of business faced with significant costs for replacing their battery farming equipment.

 

Meanwhile, industry experts are warning that provisioners will still face the same levels of demand for eggs from superyachts.

 

“They still have to buy their eggs,” Lucy Hillsdon, Managing Director of the Côte d'Azur-based provisioner Turnaround, told Yachting Pages.

 

“The price rises will also affect things like bread. We have already prepared our budget – you have to keep an eye on prices.”

 

Turnaround last year supplied 4,812 eggs to visiting superyachts in the French Riviera, Monaco, Saint-Tropez, Cannes, Rome and popular yachting hotspots.

 

The company supplies numerous major brands to superyacht owners and guests including Jordans, Activia, Tropicana, Bon Maman, Marmite, PG Tips, illycaffè, Philadelphia, Tate & Lyle sugar, Carte D'or, Häagen-Dazs, Cadbury, McVitie’s, Pringles, Tyrrells crisps, Heinz, Colemans, Ocean Spray and Caviar House & Prunier.

 

Ms Hillsdon added that the region’s provisioners will have to “budget more liberally” to prepare for the Mediterranean superyacht season. The season’s upcoming big events include next month’s Cannes Film Festival (May 11-22) and the Monaco Grand Prix (May 24-27).

 

Steve Crowe, Managing Director of Yachting Pages, agrees that rising prices won’t affect demand for eggs aboard superyachts whose food budgets are already substantial.

 

“A small superyacht could typically order €10,000 worth of food for a single week’s charter, with a larger superyacht easily ordering €30,000-40,000 worth of food for a week,” he said.

 

Compared to the overall cost of chartering a superyacht, which can vary from €20,000 to €945,000 per week, a boat’s food budget takes up a significant proportion of its charter expenses – up to 50% in the case of smaller boats.

 

“Yet, at the other end of the industry, some egg suppliers have gone out of business,” added Mr Crowe. “Provisioners may need to be more flexible in where they source their eggs, and adapt to these changing markets.”

 

For details about provisioning and food supplies for superyachts visit yachtingpages.com

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