World Poultry News:

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Brown Says GM Animal Feeds are Key to Food Crisis
UK - Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister of Britain, has called upon the European Union to relax rules on imports of genetically modified animal feed in order to prevent a world food crisis.



His proposal comes the day after The Independent revealed that the Environment minister, Phil Woolas, has held private talks with the biotechnology industry about relaxing Britain's policy on the use of GM crops.

The Prime Minister also signalled that he is happy to see a public debate over whether GM crops should be grown commercially in Britain to reduce global prices by boosting production. His spokesman said last night: "His view is that we must be guided by the scientific evidence."

According to The Independent, ministers who support GM crops believe there are no convincing arguments against them. They want to turn the tables on environmental groups who campaigned successfully against widespread GM production in Britain during the last government review in 2004. Although there is no ban, the ministers want the rules changed in light of the food crisis, as no GM crops are currently being grown commercially in this country.

At a two-day summit in Brussels which began last night, EU leaders were urged to "bite the bullet" and embrace GM products as a solution to rocketing food prices. The plea came from Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission. Several EU countries, led by France, are unconvinced that "Frankenstein foods" are safe.

At the meeting, Mr Brown suggested allowing more GM animal food into the EU. The move may raise safety fears because contaminated feed was blamed for the outbreak in Britain of BSE in the 1990s.

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Government to Take Over Chicken Trade?
HONG KONG - Poultry workers are demanding three billion compensation for the withdrawal of live bird licences.



The government is about to make a multi-billion-dollar buy-out of Hong Kong's poultry industry, according to The Standard. The newspaper says it could be the end of the territory's live chicken trade. Farmers and traders are expected to be presented with a buy-out proposal today.

If the proposal were to be accepted, consumers would have the option of buying chilled or frozen chicken but no more live birds. It would also call a halt to the plan for central slaughtering redundant due in 2011.

However, chicken sellers are asking for at least HKD3 billion in compensation for the withdrawal of all live poultry licences for the 470 wet market or fresh provision stores.

Secretary for Food and Health York Chow Yat-ngok said the buy-out would apply to the whole industry, covering retail, wholesale and farming.

"These days we've heard much resistance from the industry against the proposed ban on keeping live chickens overnight, saying it would be a blow to their business, and that they're considering closing down [surrendering their licences]," he said.

"If they were to close down, it must apply to the whole line of business.

"Whether it is retail, wholesale or farms, all will be affected, including the transport sector."

Mr Chow said that the number of people eating live chickens is down to 18 per cent now, compared to the historical level of 42 per cent.

Separating chickens and people, or central slaughtering, is our ultimate destination what we have to consider is whether this should be done earlier, especially when we face the bird flu risk in three, four years' time," Mr Chow said.

The HKD3 billion sum for compensation to the chicken sellers was agreed after a meeting of more than 20 representatives of the live poultry industry yesterday.

Hong Kong Poultry Wholesalers' and Retailers' Association secretary Lau Chung-sun said the compensation plan, covering ten years, would support the vendors' monthly incomes plus the value of their licences until their retirement. Most vendors are too old to switch jobs.

"If the government were to close down our business, it must pay enough to support our livelihood; with my education level and skills it's hard for me to change profession now," said Mr Lau.

In the government's 2005 Voluntary Surrender Scheme, each stall was offered a one-off payment of HKD200,000 to 500,000, depending on size.

The Standard reports Mr Lau saying that HKD3 billion as "a fair sum" as the new surrender scheme is forced.


 

[mikey]

Bird flu virus 'unlikely to reach Australia'
Posted Tue Jul 1, 2008 12:48pm AEST
Updated Tue Jul 1, 2008 12:53pm AEST

Map: Brisbane 4000
 An international conference in Brisbane has been told that it is unlikely a deadly strain of the bird flu virus will ever reach Australia.

It is the first time Australia has hosted the World Poultry Congress, with more than 2,000 delegates attending the first day.

Immunologist and Nobel prize-winner Peter Doherty says although the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain has killed 240 people overseas, Australia's dry climate and isolation will help prevent the virus entering the country.

"It's not something we have to worry about," he said.

But virus expert Dr Andrew Turner says there is still a slight risk.

"We have to be prepared, it may not be H5N1 which starts the pandemic - there are other viruses circulating in birds at the moment," he said.

However he says Australia's strict quarantine system is helping keep bird flu out of the country.

An inquiry into last year's horse flu outbreak blamed weak quarantine procedures for the spread of the virus.

Dr Turner says poultry is monitored more closely than horses.

"The restrictions on birds coming in, poultry genetics coming in, are much much stronger than horses," he said.

"It's a very strict quarantine regime and they come from birds in very highly protected flocks overseas."

The conference ends on Friday.

[mikey]

Livestock and Poultry World Markets and Trade
China and the European Union are expected to be net broiler meat importers again in 2008 on the basis of continued strong demand, higher domestic prices, and strengthening currencies, writes the United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service.

 

Broiler Meat Trade Continues to Climb
Top 5 Importers

Net Importers Again

China is expected to be supplied mostly by the United States, whereas the EU is expected to be supplied by Brazil and Thailand. It is interesting to note that in the case of the EU, there’s a distinct 10-year upward trend as exports have fallen and imports have been rising. In the case of China, the trend of more imports and less exports is only prevalent in the past few years as consumers have shifted to poultry from more expensive pork.


Broiler Meat: 2008 Revised Forecast Overview
New countries have been added to the broiler meat PSD to reduce the gap between total imports and total exports by selected countries. These additional countries have data for 1997 to 2008 and are included in this circular as well as in the PSD Online. As a result, any comparison between the 2008 forecast published in November and the revised 2008 forecast should take this modification into account.


Production
The forecast for broiler production is raised to 71 million tons. Whereas broiler production forecasts for major producers (U.S., Brazil, and the European Union) are slightly higher, China’s broiler production is expected to grow by 10 percent over the November forecast.

United States is up 22,000 tons to 16.6 million tons based on strong demand.


China is raised 1.1 million tons to 12.5 million due to strong demand for the cheaper protein as pork prices continue to be high.


Brazil is boosted 345,000 tons to 10.9 million tons. Producers are expected to expand poultry output as local feed supplies are raised to record levels. Also, foreign and domestic demand continues to be strong.


European Union is up 110,000 tons to 8.2 million tons due to growing demand for the cheaper protein as meat prices rise and also additional capacity in Germany and Romania while UK recovers from AI losses.
U.S. Southern States Chicken LQ Prices

Consumption
The forecast for broiler consumption was raised to 70 million tons. Growth in major broiler consumer nations, such as China, European Union, and Brazil, are expected to be strong in 2008.

China is up 1.1 million tons to 12.7 million tons due to continued high pork prices spurring demand for broiler meat.


European Union is raised nearly 300,000 tons to 8.2 million tons. Despite higher prices, domestic demand continues to be strong as broiler meat is still the lower cost protein option.


Brazil is up 230,000 tons to 7.7 million tons as consumer’s real incomes continue to rise with a healthy growing economy expected in 2008.
Exports
Broiler exports are revised up nearly 500,000 tons to 7.7 million tons. Growth in the United States and Brazil is strong while the European Union is expected to decline in 2008.

United States is up nearly 200,000 tons to 2.7 million due to the favorable exchange rates. Chinese and Russian pace of imports from the US is expected to continue strong. U.S. chicken leg quarter prices averaged $904 per ton in March, up over $28 from February. Foreign demand for leg quarters has kept prices strong.


Brazil is boosted 115,000 tons to a record 3.2 million. Year-to-year export growth is modest compared to past years (except for the decline in 2006). Brazil’s major destinations in 2007 were the EU, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Hong Kong and United Arab Emirates (UAE). The UAE is the fifth newest market, having displaced Russia in 2007, and imported 195,000 tons, up 48,000 tons over the previous year. So far in 2008, export growth is strongest to Saudi Arabia and the UAE.


European Union is down 80,000 tons to 620,000 as the Europeans are becoming less competitive due to the rising euro. Exports were down last year to major markets such as Russia and Ukraine. The European Union is expected to be a net importer in 2008, with Brazil as the major supplier.
U.S. Southern States Chicken LQ Prices

Imports
Broiler imports are forecast at 7.2 million tons. Imports to major markets Russia, European Union, China, Saudi Arabia, are increased for 2008 as demand continues strong.

Russia is up 60,000 tons to 1.2 million tons due to continued shortage of supplies in red meats and favorable broiler prices. Consumer demand continues to expand because of growing incomes. Imports are still somewhat constrained by the government policies to encourage domestic production.


European Union is boosted by 100,000 tons to 650,000 tons, the highest since 1999 when the EU-27 was formed, based on pace of shipments from Brazil and higher domestic prices. Despite the lower TRQ for salted poultry in 2008, European Union imports are expected to surpass the quota because it continues to be profitable.


China is raised 40,000 tons to 600,000 tons because of strong consumer demand, an appreciating Renminbi, and higher domestic prices. Nearly 70 percent of this market is supplied by the United States, the rest comes from Brazil.


Saudi Arabia is boosted 40,000 tons to 490,000 tons based on strong shipments from Brazil. Over 80 percent of its imports are supplied by Brazil, the rest comes from the European Union. Also, recent reports indicate that the government will be cutting import tariffs for frozen poultry from 20 to 5 percent to help control food price inflation.
Further Reading
 - You can view the full report by clicking here. 

April 2008

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Live chicken sales resume in Hong Kong after bird flu ban


Jul 2, 2008, 6:56 GMT


Hong Kong - Live chicken sales resumed in markets across Hong Kong Wednesday after a 21-day ban on poultry imports and sales following a bird flu outbreak.

However, many chicken stalls remained closed because of tough new restrictions which prohibit the keeping of live poultry in markets overnight to lower the risk of a new bird flu outbreak.

Thousands of chickens were slaughtered when bird flu was discovered in samples taken from four markets in Hong Kong last month. The source of the infection was never traced.

The government tightened restrictions and announced a compensation package for poultry farmers and traders which has been the subject of weeks of wrangling.

Traders' groups estimated only around 100 of licensed 469 poultry stalls across the city of 6.9 million would reopen for business Wednesday while the government said it expected 180 to open.

Traders insisted the move was not a boycott but said they wanted to test market conditions before reopening, fearing they could be left with unsold chickens at the end of each day's business.

Up to 30,000 chickens from local farms and from farms across the border in mainland China were expected to be available for sale in markets Wednesday.

Hong Kong's health secretary York Chow appealed to traders to concentrate on getting business back to normal under the new restrictions rather than fight for higher compensation.

'It is important the trade should be more pragmatic and realistic rather than try to ask for anything more,' he told reporters.

Hong Kong was the scene of the first outbreak of bird flu to jump the species barrier in modern times in 1997 when six people died and 12 others were infected.

Tough new hygiene and monitoring controls have since been introduced and Hong Kong has been spared further human infections in the recent bird flu cases across the Asia region.

[mikey]

Study Shows Effects of Feed Particle Size on Laying Hens
It is well known that a reduction in cereal particle size within processed diets improves productive performance of poultry by increasing nutrient digestibility although little work has been carried out in laying hens.


Feed form is also an important characteristic for laying hens, and diets can be presented as mash, crumbs, pellets or whole grain cereal. Given the current high costs of dietary ingredients and the energy required for feed production, it is important to understand the benefits of processing and the optimum feed form for laying hens.




Dr Elizabeth McCann and Dr Marian Scott discuss the value of whole wheat for laying hens. Dr Scott has completed her Ph.D. and is now employed by Devenish Nutrition Ltd.A recent study conducted as part of a Ph.D. programme by Dr Marian Scott at the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Newforge and Queen’s University of Belfast has evaluated the effect of particle size and feed form on egg production and egg quality parameters. Ten experimental diets were produced to contain 60% wheat and a metabolisable energy value of 11MJ per kg (fresh basis). The treatments included a whole wheat ration plus balancer, wheat ground through three particle sizes (2, 5 and 8mm) and formulated into diets offered in three forms (pellets, crumbs and mash) to laying hens. Feed intake and daily egg production were recorded, feed conversion ratio (kg feed:kg egg) was determined and several egg quality parameters were assessed.

Feed intake was highest for the 8mm particle size and lowest for the 2mm particle size, and average egg weight was highest when hens were offered rations containing 2mm particle sizes (see table). Particle size had no significant effect on yolk colour index or percentage shell. However, there was a tendency for fewer eggs to be produced per day with diets containing 8mm particle sizes. The whole wheat plus balancer ration significantly reduced feed intake, increased average egg weight and reduced feed cost per 100 eggs (£2.35 vs. £3.18). There were no significant differences in egg production or quality as a result of mash, crumbs or pellets but it was found that the crumbed ration reduced feed intake and hence feed cost per 100 eggs.

The effect of whole wheat plus balancer ration and wheat particle size within processed diets on egg production and quality
Parameter Whole wheat + balancer 2mm particle size 5mm particle size 8mm particle size
Feed intake (g per d on dry matter basis) 81.4 87.8 92.1 99.1
Daily egg production 0.96 0.92 0.93 0.84
Egg weight (g) 60.4 59.3 58.6 53.3
Yolk colour index 4.59 4.59 4.70 4.67
Percentage shell (%) 8.73 9.23 9.06 9.80
Feed cost ((£ per tonne) 277 317 302 299
Feed cost per 100 eggs (£) 2.35 3.03 2.99 3.53


The effect of feed form on feed cost per 100 eggs (£)





 

Conclusions
It was concluded that feed form i.e. mash, crumbs or pelleted diets, has no significant effect on egg production or egg quality, but crumbed diets reduced feed cost per 100 eggs. The finer particle size (2mm) resulted in better performance than coarser particle sizes. However, overall optimum performance was achieved when the whole wheat plus balancer ration was given to hens. Offering feeds in such a form would also reduce diet costs per 100 eggs produced and in addition, reduce the energy required for diet production. However, an extra auger system would be required to implement the feeding of a whole wheat plus balancer ration on a commercial unit.

 

July 2008

[mikey]

Monday, August 11, 2008Print This Page
Feed Prices Cripple Poultry Industry
INDIA - Recent rains in key maize-producing states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have impacted poultry feed prices.



Financial Express of India reports that the price of maize, which rose to 10,500 rupees (INR) per tonne few months prior to the government imposing a ban on its export, is now on sale at INR9,800 per tonne. According to poultry industry sources, the price of maize was around INR 8,000 per tonne.

Rains have also impacted the transportation of maize to different parts of the country. Not only maize but also soybean meal prices have risen sharply in the recent months to INR21,500 per tonne from INR16,000 a year ago. The next soybean crop is not due to be harvested until mid-October.

"We have petitioned the department of animal husbandry to ban the export of soybean meal so that the prices of poultry feed come down," said Ricky Thapar, treasurer of the Poultry Federation of India (PFI).

He said that as a consequence of rise in the prices of soybean and maize, the cost of poultry feed has gone up to INR1800 per tonne from an average of INR1200 per tonne last year.

At present, the costs of producing a kilogram of live broiler and an egg are INR45 and INR1.80, respectively.

For the retail consumer in Delhi, the price of live weight broiler is around INR65 per kilo. The retail price of eggs in Delhi is INR30-34 per dozen while the chicken is selling at around INR100-110 per kilo.

"Poultry is losing heavily due to rise in the cost of production and more than 20% of poultry farms have closed down," Mr Thapar said.

He also said that due to forthcoming festivals like Rakha Bandhan, Durga Puja and Navaratras among others, demand for chicken and eggs will fall because consumers prefer not to eat chicken and eggs due to religious reasons.

India produces more than 2.0 million tonnes of broiler chicken annually, reports the newspaper - making it the fifth largest producer in the world - and it is the largest producer of eggs with output of around 44 billion.

[mikey]

Monday, August 11, 2008Print This Page
Jamaica Broiler Drops Prices
JAMAICA - The country's largest producer of poultry products, Jamaica Broilers Group, has announced that it will reduce the prices of all its 'Best Dressed Chicken' products from 13 August.



In a press release to Radio Jamaica, president and chief operating officer of Jamaica Broilers Group, Robert Levy, said that the price will be cut by $4.50 per kilo.

The reason for the reduction is the recent grain price decreases in the USA, from where Jamaica Broilers imports the commodity for feed.

The company said it wants to let consumers know that while it is forced at times to raise the prices of chicken meat, it is also prepared to reduce prices when the cost of inputs decrease.

Jamaica Broilers noted that the cost of corn is down considerably from when it last purchased grain, and it is now able to pass on some of the savings to consumers.

Substantial increases in the cost of feed-stock, such as corn and soya, on the world market over the past two years, have led to spiraling input costs in Jamaica's poultry industry.

The price of chicken meat in Jamaica went up in December last year and again in January and June this year.

[mikey]

Monday, August 11, 2008Print This Page
Farms Close as Production Costs Rise
PAKISTAN - The rising cost of poultry production has led to the closure of more than half of the poultry farms in Sindh this year.



The closures are having an adverse impact on chicken meat prices, reports Daily Times of Pakistan.

A poultry trader explained that the unfavourable conditions during the last few years had caused many small poultry farms to change to thoer businesses.

Abdul Maroof Siddiqui, central convener of the Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA) said that despite rising beef and mutton prices, chicken prices too have reached 140 to 180 rupees (PKR) per kilo - the same as two or three years ago.

The increase in chicken feed costs by 60-70% over the last 2 to 3 months has meant that farm owners are making no profit at all, he added.

Mr Siddiqui said a fall in chicken meat demand at city retail outlets as well as fast-food restaurants, hotels and roadside restaurants have forced farmers to keep their prices low.

Now, most of the remaining poultry farms are facing financial losses, especially over the last year. If the situation continues, more of them will leave the industry and chicken prices could rise to record levels.

There were increases in the cost of the major constituents of the poultry feed, including soybean, chouker and maize during the last two months.

"Owing to depreciation of local currency against the US dollar, rates of soybean, which is imported in large quantity from India, has sharply surged while the government has allowed export of maize which was locally produced is substantial quantity inside the country affecting its price to the detriment of poultry sector," said Mr Siddiqui

He added that chicken meat prices could surge close to PKR200 per kilo before the start of holy month of Ramadan if the sector continued to face sustained financial losses.

[mikey]

Monday, August 11, 2008Print This Page
Dramatic Price Rises Hit Egypt
EGYPT - With a 16-year record inflation rate, poultry prices jumped 39 per cent in the last year.



The annual consumer price index rose 23 per cent last month, due mainly to an annual increase of 32.5 per cent in food prices, according to ABC Rural.

Inflation seemed to be under control until the beginning of this year but began to rise rapidly in March due to the increase in global food prices, particularly for wheat. Egypt is a major importer.

Other significant price rises were experienced for butter (71%), dairy products (38%) and pasta (33%).

[mikey]

Pharma Patents And Why Indonesia Is Hoarding Bird Flu Samples
from the this-isn't-good-for-health dept
We've pointed to plenty of examples concerning how pharmaceutical patents actually do more to hold back life-saving cures, and here's another example. It's actually a continuation of a story we wrote about a year and a half ago, about Indonesia's decision to stop supplying bird flu samples to the World Health Organization, claiming it was worried that a big pharma would patent a drug based off of it, and Indonesia wouldn't receive any of the benefit. The country has something of a point: as pharma companies have made various cures incredibly expensive in the past.

However, Indonesia is now taking this a step further, claiming "viral sovereignty" over the bird flu. In other words, it's claiming that since the virus samples are found in the country, Indonesia owns the virus -- and it's fighting pretty much every attempt by others to do anything with the virus, sometimes using questionable claims such as one about how a US medical research facility is trying to use the virus not to create a cure, but to create biological weapons. It's basing this claim of "viral sovereignty" on the same ridiculous patent rules that allow a country to claim "ownership" and patents over indigenous plants.

While there's obviously a huge political component to this dispute, at the heart of the trouble is this idea of "ownership" of something like a plant, virus or drug -- and that's an idea that the US has been a huge supporter of, so it can hardly complain about Indonesia taking it to the logical conclusion. And, of course, that logical conclusion is the exact opposite of what supporters of pharma patents insist the system is designed to encourage. That is, thanks to this hoarding and claims of ownership, not nearly enough research is being done to try to create vaccines for bird flu. And, to make this even worse, it appears other countries are starting to consider "viral sovereignty," as well -- meaning that research into curing various diseases may grind to halt while various countries argue over who owns what.

[mikey]

Friday, August 29, 2008Print This Page
19 US Poultry Companies Banned from Exports
RUSSIA - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has announced that 19 US poultry meat companies will be banned from exporting their products to Russia because they had failed health and safety tests.



A further 29 other companies had been warned to improve their standards or face the same ban, Mr Putin said in his interview with CNN.

Mr Putin said that the economic measures were unrelated to the fight with Georgia - the matter is more from an economic standpoint.

According to Mr Putin, Russia's health and agricultural ministries had randomly tested the poultry products and found them to be full of antibiotics and arsenic.

The list of the US companies first chosen for expulsion hasn’t been promulgated so far. The market players say the lists are revised each year and exclusion of some companies is a common practice. For the first time, however, it was Prime Minister Vladimir Putin that announced the news.

A total 299 enterprises export poultry from the United States to Russia. Of this number, 127 are the poultry processing plants, reports Kommersant. The US suppliers currently control 72 per cent of the poultry export to Russia (over $3 billion), the EU has 14 percent and Brazil has 13 percent.

The size of Russia’s poultry market is estimated at 3.2 million tons with the local suppliers providing 1.9 million tons. The biggest US poultry suppliers are Tyson Foods, Pilgrim`s Pride, Cook Foods, Sanderson Farms, Simmons Foods.

[mikey]

Friday, August 29, 2008Print This Page
Coccidia in Broilers Found to Be Increasing
NORWAY - Coccidia are single-celled intestinal parasites that currently represent one of the greatest challenges to the broiler industry. To keep the level of infection low, farmers commonly add coccidia-inhibiting chemicals (coccidiostats) to broiler feed. While this does not kill the parasites, it greatly reduces the incidence of overt sickness and death from infection. While clinical coccidiosis is therefore not a problem, veterinary authorities have never been able to gauge the extent of subclinical coccidiosis and the consequences this may have for animal welfare issues and production costs.





Mixed Eimeria species infectionIn her doctorate, Anita Haug looked at the incidence, epidemiology and significance of coccidiosis in the broiler industry in Norway. In order to complete such an extensive study, it was necessary for her to use diagnostic tools that could identify relevant coccidia strains quickly and reliably.

Existing test methods proved inadequate, and in several instances, intestinal changes characteristic of coccidia were not specifically identified by existing test methods. Haug therefore developed new test methods by simplifying traditional ones, and also developed a robust, effective and sensitive molecular-biological test.

Two large survey studies showed an increase in the incidence of coccidia-infected broiler flocks from 42% to 76% during a three year period and a strong swing in the type of dominant coccidia strain toward less pathogenic forms and away from more pathogenic ones. The total parasite load, country-wide, did not alter significantly during this period, but there were large regional differences in the numbers of infected flocks, the level of infection and the dominant species.



Anita HaugThis survey study revealed that three coccidia species predominate in Norwegian broiler production. A relatively benign species was present in all flocks examined. The two other species were, however, extremely pathogenic, and were demonstrated in 77% and 25% of the flocks. Haug points out that twenty years' use of the same type of coccidiostat in broiler the broiler industry may have contributed to the increased incidence of coccidiosis on Norwegian farms. It will therefore be important to monitor the development of coccidia in Norwegian broiler production in the years to come.

The economic significance of milder coccidia infections may prove very difficult to evaluate. Haug studied the relationship between parasite load and production efficiency, and found that parasite load alone was not a good measure of the economic significance of infection. Reduced production occurred when there was over 50,000 parasites per gram of faeces and the pathogenic strains dominated. A corresponding level of infection of more benign coccidia strains did not have the same effect on production.

Haug's studies has given us effective tools for survey and routine diagnosis of coccidia in the poultry industry, enabling flocks at risk to be more easily identified.

Cand. med. vet. Anita Haug defended her thesis for the degree of Philosohiae Doctor on June 26, 2008 at the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, with the title "Coccidiosis in broiler chickens - identification, epidemiological aspects and evaluation of gross intestinal lesions of infected birds".

The thesis work was carried out at the National Veterinary Institute in Oslo, and the National Veterinary Institute at Uppsala, Sweden, and was financed by the Research Council of Norway.

[mikey]

Friday, August 29, 2008Print This Page
Sales Slump in the Organic Egg Market
UK - Up until a while ago, the organic egg sector was going through an increase in sales. But now, with customers having less money to spend, the organic egg market seems to be witnessing a sales slump.



Organic Farmers & Growers' chief executive, Richard Jacobs, said: "There is no denying that organic egg and table bird producers are now feeling the pain. From the certification end of the business, we are seeing some people move out of organic production, while a few others are reducing their exposure by taking some flocks out of organic status.

Sales data from TNS confirms a slow down in the market that has seen a 4.1% decline in volume of sales over the 12 month period up to 13 July 2008.

The data shows that sales in the last four weeks are down by 13.0% compared to the same period last year, according to Farmers Weekly Interactive.

Geoff Cooper sales and contract producer director at Noble Foods said: "The market is currently going through a difficult time there does appear to be a link to the credit crunch making the consumer feel poorer.

"However, as we all know eggs is a cyclical market and it wouldn't surprise me if we see the sector pick up again as we move forward," he added.

Hopes for a more positive outlook are echoed by Mr Jacobs who said: "I think we could be talking ourselves into a self-fulfilling prophecy and that, at least for now, things are not as bad as some headlines are trying to suggest."

[mikey]

Friday, August 29, 2008Print This Page
Ready-to-Cook Weight Up 6 Percent from Last Year
US - The USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) comment on the slightly higher poultry ready-to-cook weights in their monthly Poultry Slaughter Report.

 

Ready-to-Cook Weight Up 6 Percent from Last Year
Poultry certified wholesome during July 2008 (ready-to-cook weight) totaled 3.83 billion pounds, up 6 percent from the amount certified in July 2007. The June 2008 revised certified total at 3.66 billion pounds, was up 2 percent from June 2007. The June revision represented a decrease of 2.30 million pounds from last month's preliminary pounds certified.

The preliminary total live weight of poultry inspected during July 2008 was 5.13 billion pounds, up 5 percent from 4.87 billion pounds a year ago. Young chickens inspected totaled 4.35 billion pounds, up 5 percent from July 2007. Mature chickens, at 81.6 million pounds, were up 15 percent from the previous year. Turkey inspections totaled 687 million pounds, up 8 percent from a year ago. Ducks totaled 13.5 million pounds, down 12 percent from last year.

Young chickens slaughtered during July 2008 averaged 5.54 pounds per bird, up 1 percent from July 2007. The average live weight of mature chickens was 5.90 pounds per bird, down 5 percent from a year ago. Turkeys slaughtered during July 2008 averaged 28.4 pounds per bird, up 1 percent from July 2007.

Ante-mortem condemnations during July 2008 totaled 20.1 million pounds. Condemnations were 0.39 percent of the live weight inspected, as compared with 0.37 percent a year earlier. Post-mortem condemnations, at 43.3 million pounds, were 1.12 percent of quantities inspected, as compared with 1.20 percent a year earlier.

July 2008 contained 23 weekdays (including one holiday) and 4 Saturdays, while July 2007 had 22 weekdays (including one holiday) and 4 Saturdays.