The cost of living crisis in mainland Europe has reached boiling point as the price of eggs in Spain has risen dramatically in less than a month. In February, a dozen eggs cost 2.10 euros (£1.76), but has now risen by 50 cents to 2.60 euros (£2.17), with fears that it could rise even further.
The Spanish government has also come under fire for introducing tough news laws which stop residents from keeping a chicken without a licence. Under new laws introduced last year all chickens must be registered with the Ministry for Agriculture. This is adding a huge amount of paperwork for even small-time farmers.
“You can no longer keep a chicken on your land without paperwork and in many cases the eggs they produce can’t be sold on the open-market,” said one farmer.
For those who wish to keep chickens or other poultry, even for personal egg consumption, registration is mandatory.
Birds must now be enrolled in the General Registry of Livestock Farms, overseen by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food.
According to Royal Decree 637/2021, which outlines the essential regulations for poultry management, owners of self-consumption farms are required to notify authorities for inclusion in this registry.
Although self-consumption farms are exempt from prior notification requirements, registration is still necessary, which can be done either in person at regional agricultural offices or online through the Regional Ministry of Rural Environment’s website.
As well as this, poultry owners must designate a reference veterinarian for health issues. Non-therapeutic surgical interventions, such as castration or break trimming, require prior authorisation from the competent authority.
Noncompliance with these regulations can lead to fines ranging from 600 euros (£502) to 3,000 euros (£2,509) for even minor infractions.
This egg price increase could not come at a worse time for Spain, as the US is relying on the Spanish market due to an outbreak of bird flu on the other side of the Atlantic.