DEFRA shell egg imports and exports revised after miscalculation

Shell egg export differences in calculations
Shell egg export differences in calculations

UK shell egg import and export figures have been recalculated by DEFRA after a mathematical conversion error by HMRC revealed that imports and exports of shell eggs were not as high as first thought. The revisions go back as far as 1996 and revealed that the disparity between the original calculations and the new calculations were greater in recent years.

In some years imports of shell eggs were reported as three times higher than the reworked entries. In February 2013 DEFRA originally reported that the UK imported 267.8 thousand cases of shell eggs, one case is equal to 360 eggs, when the new methodology showed that we only imported 127.9 thousand cases. Exports were equally miscalculated with February 2013 showing that the UK exported 16.2 thousand cases of eggs compared to the original calculation of 61 thousand cases.

A spokesman for DEFRA explained the miscalculations by saying ’As part of quality assurance work, we have identified and implemented some methodological changes and improvements. This work was carried out in discussion with industry representatives.

The revised numbers are lower than the previously published trade statistics. This is explained by the change in HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) data used to compile the statistics. Previously published data was based on trade values with a fixed unit price applied to estimate volumes. The revised statistics base the volumes on net mass data (i.e. quantities in kilograms) converted to egg numbers. The differences in calculations are greater in recent years as price volatility was more of an issue.‘