A British farmer explained why the UK is suffering severe egg shortages, and why, in his view, supermarket pricing practices are ultimately to blame.

With the aid of a graph written in chalk on a wall, he explains that the cost of producing eggs has increased significantly, thanks to things like the UK's bird flu epidemic and inflationary pressures linked to the war in Ukraine.

But he claims supermarkets -- he highlights Sainsburys in particular -- are paying less than it now costs British farmers to produce the eggs, so they are reducing production or stopping it completely rather than make a loss.

He also claims the supermarkets are not only making large profits on the production cost of the eggs, but that that margin has increased by far more than the increased production cost of the eggs.

In addition, he alleges the stores are paying more for eggs imported from Italy than they pay British farmers, rather than change the existing contracts or the price expectations of British farmers.

Supermarkets deny profiteering and point to myriad other costs they have to bear, which have also increased significantly and which significantly reduces the profit margin alleged by critics.

Egg shortages in uk because farmers can’t afford to carry on