December 23, 2010

New Zealand egg levy to continue

Egg producers in New Zealand have voted to continue to fund their industry body for a further six years.

The Egg Producers Federation said 135 cage, barn, and free-range egg producers have agreed to pay NZD0.36 (US$0.27) for every laying hen sold.

The levy will raise more than NZD1 million (US$744,000) per year for the federation. The federation will use the funds to promote animal welfare, food safety, the transfer of technical knowledge, and industry training and research.

Last year, the industry produced 972 million eggs from a national flock of more than three million hens.