Canadian Egg Output Eases in 2007

OTTAWA - Mar 5/08 - SNS -- Canadian egg production slipped 0.75% in 2007 to 576.9 million dozen, according to Statistics Canada, with a total value of CDN $762.2 million, up 3.7% from 2006.

"Annual egg consumption has stabilized in recent years and was pegged at 12.3 dozen per person in 2006, an amount similar to 2005. Generally, the recent sustained growth in egg consumption can be attributed to the publicity surrounding the nutritional benefits of eggs, the increased use of eggs by the food service sector, the growing popularity of value added products and the expanded use and availability of processed egg products," the federal agency said.

The value of poultry products totalled $2.6 billion in 2006, virtually unchanged from 2005. Sales of poultry meat, including turkey, showed a decrease of 3.3% with a total value of $1.8 billion. The value of egg sales increased 2.0% from 2005 to stand at $735.1 million.

Canadian farmers produced 1.2 million metric tons (MT) of poultry meat in 2006, up 0.4% from 2005. Chicken, including stewing hens, accounts for 86% of all poultry meat produced. It decreased 0.3% from year-ago levels. Turkey production stood at 163 thousand MT in 2006, an increase of 5.1% from 2005.

The quantity of poultry available for consumption has continued to increase over recent years, reaching 13.4 kilograms per person in 2006, a slight increase of 0.8% from last year and well above the 11.4 kilograms available for consumption per person ten years ago. The introduction of varied and readily available easy-to-prepare and ready-to-eat poultry products appeals to the time conscious consumer and has contributed to poultry’s on-going popularity.

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