Egg Industry - May 2007

News for the Egg Industry Worldwide

May 2007/Volume 111 Number 5

2007 Could Be “Banner Year” for Egg Exports 1

Industry News 4

Egg Executives Discuss Top Industry Concerns 5

Invest in Brand for Premium Prices 7

Biofuel Growth Drives Up Feed and Food Prices 10

New Technology Promoted Efficiency, Quality at Convention 12

Cage-Free Production Was Focus at Midwest Trade Show 13

Emerging Egg Technology 14

Industry Calendar 15

Marketplace 15

www.wattpoultry.com

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Total U.S. Egg Exports, Worldwide (in million dozen)
100

Shell Egg

Egg Product (equivalent)

By Edward Clark, Editor

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
T^Sh^oe^urcea^:b^FAo^Sve chart shows U.S. shell egg exports and egg product export equivalents on
a volume basis from 2001 to 2006. Source: Foreign Agriculture Service.

It’s still early, but the U.S. egg export picture is looking good for 2007. “If the first two months are any indication, it should be a banner year,” says James Sumner, president of _$125the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council, Stone Mountain, Ga. _$100

For the first two months of the year, shell egg exports—due to surprising _$75strength of orders from mostly Europe through the United States Egg Marketers $50 (USEM)—were up 147% from the same period in 2006 on a volume basis and $25 a 134% increase on a value basis. That works out to 14. 7 million dozen eggs ex- $0 ported in the first two months of 2007 compared to 6 million dozen a year ago.

“While we’re very pleased, I’m not sure shell egg exports can be maintained at that level for the remainder of the year, however,” Sumner says.

For 2006, exports of eggs and egg products totalled $181 million. Total exports increased 12.5% from 2005 to 2006, with last year’s exports 58.8% above 2002 levels. As the charts show, exports of egg products have increased substantially relative to shell egg exports in recent years.