July 26, 2004

Hawaii Egg Production Up

Egg production in Hawaii is running significantly higher than year-ago rates, and the year-to-year increase is double the increase on the mainland, the Hawaii Agricultural Statistics Service reports.

In May, the average number of layers again topped the half million mark. Their average lay rate also increased, and the result was 10.2 million eggs, or 28,333 cases, up 4 percent from May 2003.

The national egg production rate in the same period was up 2 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C.

The average number of layers on hand during May 2004 was 502,000, compared with 487,000 a year ago, and 505,000 during April 2004. The average rate of lay was 2,032 eggs per 100 layers (65.5 percent lay rate) compared with 2,012 (64.9 percent) a year ago.

Cumulative production for the first five months of 2004 was 2 percent above the same period in 2003, to top the 50 million egg mark.

U.S. egg production totaled 7.5 billion during May 2004, up 2 percent from last year. Production included 6.39 billion table eggs, and 1.11 billion hatching eggs, of which 1.05 billion were broiler-type and 59 million were egg-type. The total number of layers during May 2004 averaged 342 million, up 2 percent from a year earlier. May egg production per 100 layers was 2,192 eggs, up 1 percent from May 2003.