November 3, 2009

The EU cage ban will distort the European egg market, opening the floodgates to imports of cheap eggs produced in lower welfare standards, according to a new study presented at the recent International Egg Commission (IEC) meeting.

 

EU flock would continue shrinking, resulting in the EU to become a net importer for the first time by 2012, said German statistical analyst Hans-Wilhelm Windhorst.

 

EU egg production declined 2.5 percent from 2002 to 2007, partly due to the critical situation in the German egg sector which saw a sharp decrease in the number of egg units and laying hens, said Windhorst.

 

The number of layers dropped from 40 million in 2002 to around 33 million in 2007, while self-sufficiency in eggs fell from 70 percent to 55 percent. A further drop of six to seven million layers is expected by the end of 2009, resulting in a growing egg deficit.

 

To meet this year's domestic need, 7.7 billion of eggs have to be imported, compared with last year's 5.7 billion, said the study.

 

Most of the imports came from the Netherlands, which has been quicker to convert its egg systems, said Klaus Torborg of Lohmann Animal Health at a recent producer meeting in Shropshire.

 

Many producers also have had issues getting the necessary equipment supplied in the short time available

 

Discounters also influenced the egg industry, as they now account for about 47 percent of all eggs sold in Germany and for marketing and animal welfare reasons, they will not sell eggs from enriched cages.

 

Therefore, most egg producers, despite high investment in enriched cages, will have to convert to the barn system, said Torborg.

 

The UK also lost out, as its egg production dropped 16.3 percent from 2002 to 2007 due to some leading retailers dropping cage eggs from their shelves, said Windhorst.

 

Egg imports, and importing eggs from countries with much lower animal welfare standards will be necessary and inevitable, and nothing will be gained for the welfare of laying hens in the exporting countries, said Windhorst.

 

It is also feared that other member states may delay the ban.

 

Mark Williams of the British Egg Industry Council said Europe had 278 million hens in cage systems last year and only seven percent were in enriched colonies.

 

This raises concerns that some member states would not be ready in time and respective governments may seek delays in implementing the cage ban.

 

There was also the possibility of other EU member states interpreting the rules differently to DEFRA and giving their respective sectors another 12 months to comply. This is by allowing hens placed into cages up to December 31, 2011, to complete their laying cycle.