Egg Industry - January 2007

Top Company Ratings (Million layers in production on 12/31/2006) Company Name City State

Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. Jackson MS Rose Acres Seymour IN Moark, LLC Carthage MO Michael Foods Egg Prod. Minneapolis MN Sparboe Summit Farms Inc. Litchfield MN Decoster Egg Farms Turner ME Golden Oval Eggs Renville MN Ohio Fresh Eggs Croton OH ISE America DBA Lamar SC Dutchland Farms LP Lancaster PA Daybreak Foods Lake Mills WI Fort Recovery Equity Ft. Recovery OH Midwest Poultry Services, L.P. Mentone IN Fremont Farms of IA Malcolm IA Rembrandt Enterprises Rembrandt IA National Food Co. Everett WA Wabash Valley Produce Dubois IN Herbruck Poultry Ranch Saranac MI Tampa Farm Service Inc. Dover FL Hillandale Farms of PA North Versailles PA Maxim Egg Farm Boling TX Sunrise Farms, Inc. Harris IA Mahard Egg Farm Prosper TX Creighton Brothers LLC Atwood IN Esbenshade Farms Mt. Joy PA Kreider Poultry Farm Manheim PA Valley Fresh Foods Inc. Turlock CA Weaver Bros. Versailles OH Crystal Farms Inc. Chestnut Mtn. GA Hickman’s Egg Ranch Buckeye AZ Daylay Egg Farm, Inc. West Mansfield OH Gemperle Ent. & Nulaid Foods Turlock CA Zephyr Egg Co. Zephyr Hills FL Center Fresh Egg Farm Sioux Center IA Demler Enterprises Wasco CA Hamilton Farm Bureau Hamilton MI Pilgrim’s Pride Corp Dallas TX R. W. Sauder Lititz PA Willamette Egg Farms Canby OR S & R Egg Farms, Inc. Whitewater WI Braswell Milling Nashville NC J. S. West Milling Co. Modesto CA United Egg Marketing Corp. Blackshear GA Dixie Egg Co. Jacksonville FL Mountain Hollow Farms Watertown MA Sunrise Acres Hudsonville MI Hemmelgarn & Sons Coldwater OH Cooper Farms Ft. Recovery OH Berne Hi- Way Hatchery Berne IN Konos, Inc. Martin MI Delta Egg Farm Delta UT Dorothy Egg Farm Winthrop ME Wilcox Farms, Inc. Roy WA IVA, Inc. West Union IA Creekwood Farm Lake Mills WI Morning Fresh Farms Platteville CO Pearl Valley Eggs, Inc. Pearl Valley IL Pine Hill Egg Ranch Ramona CA Ritewood Egg Farms Franklin ID We-Three-Eggs LLC Sibley IA George’s Inc. Springdale AR Feather Crest Farms Dallas TX Sunrise Farms LLC Petaluma CA

Layers

22,836,000 20,500,000 14,200,000 14,000,000 12,500,000 10,500,000 7,400,000 7,000,000 6,931,000 6,900,000 6,800,000 6,800,000 6,100,000 5,200,000 5,000,000 4,000,000 3,800,000 3,700,000 3,600,000 3,500,000 3,500,000 3,500,000 3,373,781 3,150,000 3,000,000 3,000,000 3,000,000 3,000,000 2,700,000 2,400,000 2,312,000 2,200,000 2,200,000 2,050,000 2,000,000 2,000,000 2,000,000 2,000,000 2,000,000 1,900,000 1,750,000 1,675,000 1,650,000 1,600,000 1,600,000 1,500,000 1,500,000 1,500,000 1,400,000 1,400,000 1,345,000 1,300,000 1,200,000 1,125,000 1,100,000 1,100,000 1,100,000 1,100,000 1,070,000 1,030,000 1,000,000 1,000,000 1,000,000

l What 2007 Has in Store: No Shortages of Challenges and Opportunities l

include seminars, workshops, advertising, and food related trade shows.

Avian Influenza

Egg producers continue to be alert to the challenge of Avian Influenza that has hit hard in some Asian markets and has even been fatal to a number of people. Since the news was announced in foreign places, the American egg industry has taken steps to prevent, warn, anticipate an outbreak and make plans should a disaster hit in the U.S.

Unlike the Asian poultry raising practices, the U.S. industry can certainly control the bio-security of farms in a much better way using enclosed housing and basic policing of the facilities from outside influences. In Asia and other areas overseas, birds are much closer to the environments and are susceptible to wild bird contact.

A very proactive plan has been established by the Egg Safety Center to establish rules and regulations pertaining to this issue. In addition, the egg industry is working with other poultry industries to attack this potential problem. The industry also is working on communication and advertising programs to inform the public should a need arise. Recently, the USDA published a ruling which, among other positive parts, provided for a 100% indemnification to producers should an outbreak occur. All producers are encouraged to participate in the control programs.

Animal Welfare

Perhaps the most complicated and potentially dangerous challenge for the industry remains the animal welfare issue. This has been reported on over the years and has caused great changes in the past and will continue to affect everyone associated with animal agriculture. It is almost inconceivable to think that there are groups of individuals that want to discontinue any form of animal use in agriculture. Some groups want meat, milk products and of course, eggs eliminated from the American diet.