Abridged English translation of a column by Prof. Dr. Mehmet Karaçuka, originally published in Seferihisar Yeni Haber on 14 December 2024 as “Yumurta Neden Pahalı ve Fiyatlar Neden Artıyor?.” Figures and judgments refer to the original publication period.
Eggs are among the least expensive sources of protein, yet Turkish consumers faced sharp increases in their prices in late 2024. The original column reported a 34% rise in September, followed by a slight October decline and further increases exceeding 20% over subsequent weeks.
Production trends did not offer an obvious explanation. According to the statistics cited in the column, egg output over January–October 2024 was 4.5% higher than a year earlier. Feed and packaging costs had increased, but these pressures did not seem sufficient to explain the full retail-price movement.
The column therefore examined the market’s structure, particularly the purchasing power of major supermarket chains. A small number of large buyers can exercise substantial bargaining power over many egg producers. This is a form of monopsony power: suppliers may receive low prices even when consumers pay considerably more.
When buyers demand lower wholesale prices, smaller producers may face narrow or negative margins and eventually leave the industry. The article also referred to competition-authority scrutiny of allegations concerning retailers’ pricing coordination; such allegations must be distinguished from established findings.
Stronger competition and effective regulatory scrutiny could protect both producers’ viability and consumers’ access to reasonably priced food.
Original Turkish article: Yumurta Neden Pahalı ve Fiyatlar Neden Artıyor? — Seferihisar Yeni Haber, 14 December 2024.
