Whether you opt for free range or caged eggs on your trip to the supermarket, the Western Australian Government is determined to phase out caged eggs in the midst of an egg shortage.

WA Agriculture Minister Alannah MacTiernan believes caged eggs could be a thing of the past within the next decade, leaving farmers grappling with looming financial loss.

John Hassell, President of WA Farmers, told Oliver Peterson on Perth Live that “farmers have put huge investments into these facilities and 2036 is a reasonable time frame for these people.”

The Agriculture Ministers’ comments are a “slap in the teeth to the industry”, he said.

Joe Sacca, Owner of Forrestdale Farm Fresh Eggs, told Perth Live that the egg shortage “is caused by pressure supermarkets have put on a lot of the smaller farms.”

“There is no real difference between the two,” he said.

Press PLAY to see why farmers say the Government’s ‘free range’ ideology could mean Australians will have to buy their eggs from overseas.