MORRISONS has committed to becoming the only major supermarket to sell only free-range eggs.

The decision means all Morrisons eggs will come from hens that have outdoor access for at least eight hours each day, as well as nest boxes with wide perches and spaces for scratching and dust bathing.

The supermarket had planned on making the switch to free-range by 2025 but has managed to achieve its aim much earlier.

Morrisons sells over 10 million eggs a week, with 2 million previously coming from caged hens.

Robert Hofmann, from Morrisons, said: “Improving animal welfare is very important to customers and it’s very important to us. We source our eggs directly from farms and have worked hard to help them all move to free range.

“From today, all our eggs will come from free-range hens that are able to roam freely outdoors – typically during daylight hours - and then return to nest boxes in the evening.”

Dr Tracey Jones, Director of Food Business at Compassion in World Farming, added: “It’s great to see Morrisons achieving their commitment to be 100% free range on shell eggs ahead of their 2022 target. Momentum on ending the use of cages for laying hens is growing and Morrisons are leading the way. Importantly, they also have a 2025 cage-free commitment on the eggs that go into processed and ingredient foods.”

Morrisons is also dropping the price of a pack of six free range eggs from 80p to 75p to make them even more affordable.