Avian flu is putting new pressure on the European food market, and Spain and Portugal are at the centre of this health storm. The issue is gaining urgency as outbreaks on laying hen farms multiply, reducing production and fuelling predictions that egg prices could skyrocket by Christmas, according to a report by Postal.

In recent months, Spain has recorded several outbreaks of avian flu on large farms, forcing the culling of thousands of laying hens. This abrupt drop in supply comes in a market already pressured by high production costs, creating a scenario that has caused prices to rise weekly in several Spanish regions.

The situation is particularly worrying because the outbreaks are affecting areas with high poultry production density. In some autonomous communities, the reduction in flocks has exceeded several percentage points, immediately affecting the balance of supply and demand.

With fewer eggs available, supermarkets and distributors are warning of a continued increase in prices in the coming days, according to the Spanish digital news portal Camposol.

In Portugal, the evolution of the Spanish market is being closely monitored. In previous statements to Executive Digest, Pedro Ribeiro, Secretary-General of ANCAVE and FEPASA, had already admitted that outbreaks in the neighbouring country could affect the Portuguese market.

The executive recalls that trade relations between the two countries are intense: "There are many external exchanges with Spain, whether imports or exports," he stressed.

Although Portugal has registered few cases in recent years, Pedro Ribeiro acknowledges that the worsening situation in Spain will have an inevitable impact: "If outbreaks continue to affect large laying hen farms, this could be reflected in the national market." He adds that prices have already been under pressure for some time, so a new shock could intensify the increase.