Industry News

While most member countries of the International Egg Commission (IEC) took part in celebrating World Egg Day on October 11, Colombia took their celebration to the next level by breaking a world record for the world’s largest scrambled eggs.  The National Federation of Poultry Farmers in Colombia (FENAVI) undertook this challenge using 59 758 eggs in the shell, totalling 3 112 kilograms, 646 kilograms more than the previous record holder.  FENAVI collaborated with other local organisations and began preparations more than three months in advance, the most significant of which was the manufacturing of the pan that was specifically designed for the record attempt, spanning 12 metres long, 4 metres wide, 70 centimetres high and 20 centimetres deep.  The resulting dish was offered free of charge to 15 000 Colombians at two locations in the city, and the eggshells were ground to make fertiliser which will be used for planting trees in the rural area of Soacha, where the record attempt took place.  In excess of 150 people (apprentices, instructors and chefs) were required to prepare the world’s largest scrambled eggs.  Undoubtedly the three most important ingredients of the day were the egg, teamwork and the time that had been spent in preparation.  These all came together to highlight the importance of eggs in a delicious and nutritious diet.  For more information about the record attempt visit the Guinness World Records site.

We hope that egg producers in SA are gearing up to celebrate World Egg Day with the rest of the world on Friday, 11 October!  Here is a basic summary of how producers across the world celebrated World Egg Day in 2018:

Celebrations for the 23^rd World Egg Day were held on 12 October 2018.  This initiative was established by the IEC in 1996 intended to educate consumers on the versatility and high nutritional value of eggs.  Numerous countries around the globe get involved and get creative to celebrate the egg at the centre of their industry.  A sporting competition was held in the Philippines. Educational and fun-filled entertainment were organised in Bangladesh, Colombia, Croatia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Iran, Latvia, Pakistan, Switzerland and Turkey.  Social media campaigns aimed at educating consumers took place in Canada, Denmark, Hungary, Ireland, New Zealand, Poland, Spain and the United Arab Emirates.  Australia, Brazil, the UK, Canada and the USA utilised restaurants and social media platforms to promote recipes containing eggs. Producers in Ghana, Indonesia, India and Spain used the event as an opportunity to donate eggs to communities in need.

We’d like to share more details on a few of the ingenious celebrations planned, which will hopefully provide inspiration for future World Egg Day events.  Bangladesh interviewed consumers on one of their main TV channels which we feel would be extremely beneficial in dispelling myths surrounding egg consumption, and answering any questions to educate consumers on the many benefits to eating eggs.  On the same note, Canadian egg producers were present in stores to answer any questions as well as share their passion for farming with the consumers.  Both of these methods transform just an ordinary egg on the shelf to a story that can be told about how it got there, creating better appreciation for the product and just how valuable it is nutritionally and at such a reasonable price.

We are well aware of the nutritional benefits of eggs to all, but they are particularly important in the diet of children who face bigger nutritional demands than adults.  In Hungary a dietician spoke about breakfast habits for children and a chef presented a few simple breakfast ideas including eggs.

Who doesn’t like an egg hunt?  Latvia organised egg painting and an egg hunt which would attract many families to such a fun-filled event, and this could be used as an opportunity to educate those present on the many benefits to including eggs as a staple in a family’s diet.

The Philippines arranged a family fun run which is a model that would work equally well in South Africa given the growing popularity of trail running.  This event would no doubt attract health conscious individuals and could also be used as a good opportunity to market eggs.

If you want to access a comprehensive report of how the world celebrated World Egg Day in 2018, click here.

Don’t forget that you can share your celebrations with the IEC by using the #WorldEggDay.  It doesn’t matter how big or small they are, any sharing is appreciated, even if it’s a photo of your eggs for breakfast!  The IEC would also love to hear about how you celebrated, email your stories to them (info@internationalegg.com) to have them featured with other stories across the world.

Imports of shell chicken table eggs from January 2014 to February 2019.  The last of the imports was seen in October 2018 and hopefully that is the last of it given the turmoil that cheap imports have caused in the broiler industry.

The above graph shows the trends in the official PPI and CPI since 2014. The impact of the HPAI outbreak can be seen by the irregular movement in the PPI for eggs. It is customary for producer prices to adjust routinely over time, as input costs rise; as can be seen by changes in the PPI. The same sadly cannot be said for eggs as retailers often employ price suppression, using eggs to entice customers into their stores.

Imports of shell chicken table eggs from Jan 2014 to Dec 2018.  It appears that SAPA’s efforts on behalf of the egg industry have been successful in curbing the influx of imports from Brazil.  Let’s hope that the egg industry remains import free in 2019!

The World Animal Health Organisation (OIE) is proposing global standards for housing laying hens, which will now exclude conventional cages from their standard.  Have your say by contacting your Chief Veterinary Officer or OIE Country Delegate.  To find out how to do so and for more details released by the IEC click here.

Imports of shell chicken table eggs from Jan 2014 to Sept 2018.  The deluge of imports from Brazil has slowed significantly in September 2018.  One can only hope that this is an indication of a cessation of these imports from South America.

We commend the swift and professional action taken by a Midlands egg farmer in testing their product that was in question.  One wonders whether the recent cases that have been reported are in fact linked or not.  Read the above article published in The Independent on Saturday for more details.

The egg industry seems to be in a constant battle to maintain a wholesome reputation.  With increased acceptance of the paleo, LCHF and ketogenic diets, where eating whole foods is encouraged, the versatile egg is regaining its well deserved spot on South African’s menus.  The recent salmonella food poisoning scare in KZN has seen many fingers pointing in the direction of the egg, but all of these claims are mere speculation at this stage as nothing has been proven as yet.  Accusations such as these do little to serve the reputation of the egg, and we wait with baited breath to hear the outcome of the investigation.  For more info on this story follow this link to access an article published in The Mercury on 12 November 2018.