Fire destroys poultry farm in Laitila, 20,000 hens killed

A fire destroyed a 4,000-square-metre poultry farm in Laitila on Monday, killing more than 20,000 egg-laying hens, Yle reports. No human injuries were reported.

The farm was a contract producer for Munax, a major egg processor and packer in Finland, handling millions of eggs weekly. Munax CEO Matti Nyfors said the incident would not significantly affect egg supply, as the company works with multiple producers.

Nyfors called the fire a tragic event primarily for the producer. The burned facility was located near Munax’s main plant, but the blaze caused no smoke damage to the processing operations.

Earlier this year, Munax recalled eggs from another contract farm after salmonella was detected, though the impact on supply was limited as most affected eggs were earmarked for industrial use rather than retail.

Egg availability has been a recurring issue in Finland this spring, with over a quarter of domestically produced eggs now exported abroad, according to earlier Yle reporting. Nyfors noted that while production has fluctuated due to farm transitions, demand has also risen, driven by eggs’ reputation as an affordable, protein-rich food.

Veera Lehtilä, executive director of the Finnish Poultry Association, confirmed strong demand both domestically and in Europe. She said the Laitila fire would have minimal impact on supply, given Finland’s total laying hen population of over four million. Such accidents remain rare due to strict biosecurity standards in the country.