Bangkok, August 4 – The Egg Board asks for cooperation from laying hen farmers to remove laying hens at the specified age in order to continuously stabilize the price of chicken eggs. On the other hand, farmers hope to maintain a balance between production and consumer demand in order to keep prices at a level that is too low that they cannot survive. but not so expensive that consumers suffer

The Department of Livestock Development, as the secretariat of the Egg Board and Chicken Product Development Policy Committee (Egg Board), has sent a letter requesting cooperation from laying hen farmers to release caged layer chickens according to the appropriate age. from a meeting with representatives of the Egg Producers Association Representative of the laying hen farm cooperative and representatives of egg breeder entrepreneurs to determine guidelines for stabilizing the price of chicken eggs as follows:

Large operators with raising sizes of 100,000 or more have to release caged layer chickens that are not older than 78 weeks until the end of August 2023, after which they are to be released that are not older than 80 weeks.

Farmers who raise layer-laying hens with the raising size of not more than 100,000 birds to release cage-laying hens that are no more than 80 weeks old.

This is excepted for small-scale laying hens raising less than 30,000 birds that are not farms in the contract farming system of large operators. Layer chicken farms are raised in other ways, such as free range, organic livestock, cage free, or laying hens for purposes other than commercial sale, e.g. State laying hen farms, educational institutes or research institutes

Asking for the cooperation of all laying hen raisers to release the laying hens from the cage. To be consistent with the appropriate domestic egg production plan. Reduce the risk of egg price fluctuations. Because since June 2023, the price of domestic chicken eggs has increased. As a result, the export rate of fresh chicken eggs decreased. This may result in an oversupply of eggs in the July-August period, so a balance between production and consumption needs to be maintained.

Currently (as of May 31, 2023), the number of caged laying hens is 52.08 million, estimated egg production is 43.22 million eggs per day. Estimated cost of egg production in the 2nd quarter of Egg Board at 3.70 baht per egg, with a tendency to increase from the price of animal feed raw materials. fuel price and increased animal species by the laying hen farmers It is necessary to adjust the price of chicken eggs in line with the continuously rising production costs.

Mr. Thanawut Uelapan, vice chairman of the Akara Group Co., Ltd. and a marketing expert, Egg Board, stated that 95-97% of the production of egg-laying chickens is domestic consumption. Exports are only supply adjustments during times of oversupply. with Hong Kong and Singapore being the main importers, which are exports that entrepreneurs lose.

Currently, Thai egg consumption is on average 223 eggs per person per year. Previously, there was a plan to increase the consumption of Thai people to 300 eggs per person per year in 2015. 2019-2020 but still unable to reach the goal

Currently, the price of assorted eggs in front of the farm can be sold at 4.00 baht per egg. The cost of egg production in the second quarter of Egg Board is 3.70 baht per egg, with 71% of the cost being animal feed costs. Layer chicken raisers want to strike a balance between production and consumption in order to keep prices at a level so low that the raisers can’t survive and not so expensive that consumers suffer.

In the past, the Department of Livestock Development came to help during price declines such as Releasing laying hens in cages at appropriate age reduction of laying hens While the group of laying hens has set up the ” Layer Industry Development Fund ” to help manage production in line with consumption as well.- Thai News Agency

Source: Thai News Agency