Chaos with a Certain Scenario: Why Eggs Were Not Available in Stores on Easter and Who Is to Blame

On the egg market during the Easter holiday, there was chaos due to a certain scenario. In some stores, citizens had to stand in long lines to buy a few eggs, pushing each other and snatching eggs from hand to hand. In short, the egg market had spiraled out of control.

The head of the State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition, Gegham Gevorgyan, actually failed to carry out the functions of an economic watchdog. Experts believe that this body did not properly oversee the market, especially when a few days earlier there were concerns about a possible egg deficit.

Incidentally, the newspaper "Zhoghovurd" had raised alarms about this issue as early as March 24. Nevertheless, two theories about the egg deficit are circulating. First, in the days leading up to Easter, certain individuals bought boxes of eggs from supermarkets and stored them in their garages to create an artificial deficit, preparing to sell the stored eggs at high prices under the guise of imports.

However, the Food Safety Inspection Body warned those wishing to import eggs that proper labeling must be ensured, which they have been unable to do. Why couldn't they manage this? Because they were supposed to release the eggs stored in their garages. The issue is that they cannot import eggs from Russia, as there is also an egg problem there, and importing from Iran is impossible due to the closed border.

According to the other theory, from March to the end of November, economic operators were unable to renew the stock of laying hens, whereas this should be done twice a year to meet the domestic demand for eggs. Due to the coronavirus pandemic and martial law, operators have been forced to purchase more expensive incubator eggs and chicks from the Netherlands, Germany, and Hungary. They brought them in and laid them down, but the timing was off, and since March, instead of the daily necessary 1 million 285 thousand eggs, only 900 thousand eggs have been produced.