"Only Two Egg Boxes Per Person"…Panic Buying Erupts in China Amid Soaring Prices

Egg Prices Soar for Seven Consecutive Weeks, Sparking Food Price Concerns in China
Some Supermarkets Enforce Purchase Limits
Last Year's Poultry Farm Losses Play a Major Role

As egg prices in China have surged for seven consecutive weeks, panic buying has swept the country. Some large supermarkets have implemented purchase limits in an effort to curb hoarding.

On June 11, China Sina Finance, citing data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, reported, "Egg prices began to rise in April, reaching 5.8 yuan (approximately 1,300 KRW) per 500 grams as of June 10. This marks a significant increase compared to 3.95 yuan (about 886 KRW) in April and 4.7 yuan (about 1,000 KRW) in May." Imported eggs are priced at about 6.5 yuan (around 1,450 KRW) per 500 grams, which is nearly a 30% rise from the same period last year.

Eggs sold in the Chinese market. Baidu China.

Egg Price Surge Sparks Social Media Controversy and Panic Buying

One consumer told Lanjing Newspaper that they purchased 30 antibiotic-free eggs at Walmart for about 18 yuan (roughly 4,000 KRW), but the price has since risen to 21 yuan (about 4,700 KRW). Another supermarket shopper said, "In April, it was 17.8 yuan (about 4,000 KRW), in May it went up to 19.9 yuan (about 4,500 KRW), and by June, it reached 22.8 yuan (about 5,100 KRW)."

The spike in egg prices has become a hot topic on social networking services (SNS), fueling a wave of panic buying. In response, major supermarkets such as Hema, Sam's Club, and Darunfa—affiliated with Alibaba—have imposed restrictions on egg sales. Hema limited customers to two boxes of 30-egg packs each. Sam's Club also applied a daily limit of two boxes per person through its app.

Due to the sharp rise in egg prices, purchase limits have been imposed at supermarkets. Chinese Weibo.

Experts: "Egg Prices Will Stabilize Soon"

Experts have pointed to supply and demand issues as the main reasons for the increase in egg prices. Last year, an oversupply of eggs led to low prices, causing most poultry farmers to incur losses. This resulted in a reduction in the number of poultry farms this year, which in turn led to a drop in production. Additionally, persistent heat waves and rising feed costs, such as corn prices, have also contributed to the price increase.

As egg prices soared, distributors released reserve eggs from cold storage, but even this has failed to meet demand, leading to ongoing shortages.

However, since eggs are an essential food item in China, temporary price fluctuations are not expected to significantly affect consumers' willingness to buy. Experts agree that egg prices will soon stabilize. Zhu Danfeng, a Chinese food analyst, told Lanjing Newspaper, "It takes about four months for chicks to grow and start laying eggs, so prices should stabilize in the near future. Such price fluctuations are a normal part of the market cycle." He added, "Because it is summer and eggs can spoil easily, it is best to buy only what you need and avoid hoarding."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.