how the disaster hit the hen coop – Muricas News

Why Austria produces extra eggs than it wants and nonetheless imports 1 million eggs

At first look, it seems as if it had been the yolk of the egg: In Austria, laying hens have extra space within the barn by legislation than in different international locations. A most of seven to 9 animals per sq. meter could also be saved in barn methods. For comparability: In different international locations there are not any higher limits.

Just lately, native companies have steadily expanded Austria’s diploma of self-sufficiency – to greater than one hundred pc. From this viewpoint, no imports of animals from questionable husbandry past the nationwide borders can be vital in purely mathematical phrases. The fact, in fact, seems totally different.

“A million eggs are imported from overseas day by day,” says Josef Moosbrugger, President of the Austrian Chamber of Agriculture. They find yourself in processing vegetation and on canteen plates. Which is why native farmers are as soon as once more demanding the implementation of the obligatory labeling of origin in communal catering and processed merchandise. There, individuals nonetheless prefer to look extra on the worth than on the manufacturing circumstances. No matter is reasonable goes on the plate.

That is clearly additionally the case in an increasing number of non-public households. “Many customers select barn eggs and the eggs from natural and free-range husbandry typically fall by the wayside,” observes the Contemporary Egg Producers’ Affiliation Vertriebs-GmbH.

overproduction

It’s not going in accordance with plan in any respect for the time being. Whereas the laying hen inhabitants is at an all-time excessive, demand is falling. The explanation for this prior to now pandemic years was above all the shortage of vacationers and the related low buy portions on the a part of the catering and lodge business. In line with statistics – which don't differentiate between locals and vacationers – the per capita consumption of eggs has due to this fact fallen. From 242 items in 2019 to 236 most lately. Doesn’t sound dramatic, “however that’s an enormous downside,” says Benjamin Guggenberger from the EZG Contemporary Egg Producers’ Affiliation. “We couldn’t ship our hens on short-time work. They proceed to provide the identical portions.”

The end result was overproduction and, consequently, a drop in costs. The overproduction historically leads to entire and dry egg manufacturing and thus within the export enterprise. In line with business estimates, about one million eggs are exported – typically at cut price costs.

On the identical time, manufacturing prices are growing. “Within the case of feed prices alone, we had a rise of 45 p.c inside two years,” says Guggenberger. Packaging, transport, power – in different phrases, virtually every part – has additionally turn into costlier. Nevertheless, the variety of animals was not decreased. “As a result of everybody hopes issues will choose up once more quickly. Nevertheless, this was already hoped for earlier than the struggle broke out in Ukraine.”