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Producers’ spirits riding high with upswing in egg sales

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Published: April 1, 2010

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Canada’s egg industry is riding a wave of optimism fueled by robust sales, increased medical acceptance of eggs as a healthy product and a promise of improved government policy.

Egg Farmers of Canada chair Laurent Souligny told the annual meeting of the producer marketing agency in Ottawa March 24 that the federal government has signalled it will raise compensation available to egg producers if their birds are ordered destroyed because of disease.

“This has been a very significant issue for our industry and I am convinced the government is going to move because (agriculture minister Gerry) Ritz has told me the current level of compensation is insufficient,” Souligny said. “I am confident this will be fixed.”

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federal government proposed several months ago to increase the compensation rate from 80 to 90 per cent and double the maximum payment from $3 million to $6 million

The issue goes back to 2007 when rules were changed under the Health of Animals Act to reduce compensation for destroyed laying hens to $8 per bird from $33.

“I don’t know what the correct number is and I expect it will be a range but it will be significantly higher than $8,” said the EFC chair. “I have received a letter from minister Ritz indicating he agrees with us on that.”

Other positive news reported at the annual meeting:

  • Egg sales in 2009 rose four percent despite the recession
  • A survey of doctors indicated an increasing number of them are backing away from earlier claims that daily egg intake adds to the risk of heart attacks and strokes because of cholesterol
  • EFC increased its donations to food banks, giving more than 84,000 dozen eggs last year and doubling powdered egg donations to international hunger programs
  • Research levy funds will be used to finance four research chairs at universities across Canada investigating ways to make the industry more effective and competitive
  • By 2012, the industry will have a traceability system that will identify the farm origin of every egg sold in Canada
  • The Conservative government continues to support the supply management system in trade talks

Souligny said producers and the industry must continue to make their operations more environmentally friendly, contributing to greenhouse gas reduction.

And producers will continue to face opposition from animal welfare advocates who oppose layer cages.

“On the subject of trust, if consumers trust farmers, if they trust the egg industry, we can lessen the impact of those who attack us,” he said.

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