Buying limits: Eggs, tissues purchases have been restricted

At Coles, customers are restricted to a maximum of two cartons of eggs and two packets of tissues.

Woolworths customers are also only allowed to buy two boxes of tissues; and while that supermarket chain has no egg restrictions, there is reduced availability.

Egg producer Kristen McLennan told ACM's Southern Highland News that rising costs and traditional laying shortages during winter are impacting egg farmers.

"It's more than just the tendency of hens to lay less during winter, although that has had an impact. In the last 18 months to two years the price for pullets - the young birds - has gone up by probably 15 per cent," she said.

"A lot of smaller producers have chosen not to increase their flock size, or they've chosen to downsize."

"Add that to the general instability of the COVID market, and for all food producers things have been really unstable. Planning ahead for what you think you need to produce, for what will be sold, has been difficult."

A Woolworths spokesman said "a number of farms" have been affected by "reduced production", and he blamed production issues at some producers.

"While we continue to deliver eggs to our stores regularly, customers may notice reduced availability at the moment and we thank them for their patience and understanding," he said.

"We're in close contact with our suppliers and are working to increase the availability of eggs in stores as soon as possible."