Latvia's Agrova Baltics to go 100% cage-free by 2028
€30M investment will make it the Baltics' first full cage-free egg producer
20 April 2026
1 minute read
By: Latvian food production group AS Agrova Baltics has announced a full transition to cage-free egg production at its Alūksne poultry farm by the end of 2028, the company said, making it the first egg producer in the Baltic states to complete such a shift.
The move is driven by growing demand from export markets and retail chains. Agrova Baltics already leads the Baltic region in cage-free output, with the format accounting for roughly 80% of current production across four of its five poultry houses, which operate aviary systems. The remaining facility is slated for reconstruction by end of 2028.
Jurijs Adamovičs, founder and chairman of the management board, said the company's export ambitions make the transition essential.
"We are building an export-oriented, European-scale egg protein business, where our key clients already include international retail chains with a strong presence across Europe," he said. "These market players are rapidly shifting towards cage-free eggs, making this category the new industry standard."
Adamovičs acknowledged the domestic market presents a harder sell.
"We clearly recognise that this transition will be challenging in the Latvian domestic market, where consumer purchasing power remains a key factor," he said. "In the short term, this may result in a certain decline in market share. Therefore, we will implement a gradual transition while maintaining more affordable product options for the local market over the next two years. At the same time, the entire European industry is moving in this direction, and as a responsible producer, we see it as our duty to adapt to these structural changes and continue strengthening our position in the European market."
Alongside the cage-free shift, Agrova Baltics is launching a €30-million investment programme at Alūksne that includes three new poultry houses — slated for completion in the first half of 2027 — plus upgrades to its egg sorting and packing facility, feed mill expansion and organic fertiliser production. Once the new houses are online, cage-free capacity will rise to approximately 90% of total output.
The investment is backed by strategic partner Accession Capital Partners and is aligned with the company's zero-waste strategy. The project is expected to create jobs in Alūksne and support the broader Vidzeme regional economy.
