1. The EU egg industry in transition
Prof. Dr. Hans-Wilhelm Windhorst
IEC Statistical Analyst
Paper presented
at the Economics Committee Session
IEC Business Conference
Monaco, April 4th, 2017

2. The main goals of this presentation are:
to analyse the dynamics of the laying hen inventories and of egg production between 2010 and 2015 in the EU member countries,
to document the spatial shifts in egg production and egg trade between 2010 and 2015,
to analyse the impacts of Directive 1999/74/EU on then laying hen inventories, egg production and egg trade in Germany, Spain and Poland,
to discuss present challenges for the egg industry in the EU member countries and to present perspectives considering these challenges.

3. 1.
Some basic facts

4. EU member countries and their population (2015)

5. In 2015:
With 507 mill. inhabitants, the EU shared 6.8 % in
the global population.
With a GNP of 16.5 billion US-$, the EU contributed
21.8 % to the global GNP.
EU member countries contributed 10.3 % to global
egg production.
EU member countries shared 11.7 % in global
poultry meat production.

6. Dynamics in the EU laying hen inventory2.
Dynamics in the EU laying hen inventory

7. Development of the EU laying hen inventory between 2010 and 2015
Year
Laying hens
(1,000)
Index
(2010 = 100)
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
362,628
n. d.
363,005
380,490
383,768
382,774
100.0
100.1
104.9
105.8
105.6
MEG 2010, 2016

8. Laying hen inventory in EU member countries (2015)

9. The ten EU member countries with the highest laying hen inventories
in 2010 and 2015; data in 1,000 hens
2010
2015
Country
Hens
Share (%)
Italy
49,575
13.7
48,199
12.6
Spain
46,592
12.8
Germany
47,987
12.5
France
45,531
46,770
12.2
41,729
11.5
Poland
41,916
11.0
U. K.
38,911
10.7
41,266
10.8
Netherlands
33,448
9.2
38,991
10.2
32,781
9.0
32,838
8.6
Belgium
9,264
2.6
8,893
2,3
Sweden
6,519
1.8
Portugal
8,770
2.3
Romania
6,215
1.7
Hungary
8,211
2.1
10 countries
310,565
85.6
323,841
84.6
MEG

10. The five EU member countries with the highest increase resp.
decrease of their laying hen inventories between 2010 and 2015
Increase
Decrease
Country
1,000 hens %
Poland
9,135
27.9
Spain
5,326
11.4
Germany
6,470
15.0
Italy
1,376
2.8
Portugal
2,641
41.0
Slovakia
641
17.4
Hungary
2,571
45.6
Netherlands
610
1.8
Romania
1,618
26.0
Belgium
371
4.0

11. Change in housing systems
Total: mill.
Total: mill.

12. Housing systems for lying hens in EU member countries (2015)

13. EU member countries with the highest share in housing systems (2015)
Enriched cages
Barn system
Country %
Latvia
99.6
Austria
67.3
Portugal
93.9
Sweden
64.5
Spain
91.7
Netherlands
61.7
Free-range
Organic
Country %
Un. Kingdom
49.9
Denmark
26.3
Ireland
39.0
Sweden
16.1
Austria
20.0
10.7

14. Dynamics in egg production4.
Dynamics in egg production

15. Development of EU egg production between 2010 and 2015
Year
Production
(1,000 t)
Index
(2010 = 100)
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
7,189
7,171
7,043
7,371
7,404
7,537
100.0
99.7
98.0
102.5
103.0
104.8
MEG 2010, 2016

16. Egg production in EU member countries (2015)

17. The ten EU member countries with the highest egg production
in 2010 and 2015; data in 1,000 t
2010
2015
Country
Production
Share (%)
France
954
13.3
991
13.1
Spain
918
12.8
929
12.3
Italy
852
11.9
Germany
870
11.5
U. K.
718
10.0
830
11.0
Netherlands
711
9.9
751
656
9.1
722
9.6
Poland
637
8.9
593
7.9
Romania
310
4.3
350
4.6
Belgium
168
2.3
177
Hungary
Czech Rep.
158
2.1
10 countries
6,092
84.7
6,371
84.5
MEG

18. The five EU member countries with the highest increase resp.
decrease of egg production between 2010 and 2015
Increase
Decrease
Country
1,000 t %
Germany
214
32.6
Poland 44
6.9
Romania 40
12.9
Italy 22
2.6
France 37
3.9
Hungary 20
11.9
U. K. 33
4.6
Bulgaria 6
6.0
Czech R. 30
23.4
Croatia 3
7.2

19. Results:
The transformation of the housing systems did not
cause a drastic decline in the laying hen inventory and
in egg production.
The expansion of layer places led to an oversupply
with eggs and lasting low egg prices at farm gate.
A reduction of placed hatching eggs and pullets was
able to stabilise the situation for some time, but it was
not before the second quarter of 2016 that prices
increased again, partly of growth in exports.

20. 5.
Dynamics in egg trade

21. Development of EU egg exports between 2010 and 2015
Year
Exports
(t)
Index
(2010 = 100)
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
181,719
217,105
185,716
219,683
232,859
283,130
100.0
119.5
102.2
120.3
128.1
155.8
* Includes shell egg equivalents for egg products but not hatching eggs
EU Commission

22. Development of EU egg imports between 2010 and 2015
Year
Imports
(t)
Index
(2010 = 100)
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
34,244
20,806
37,446
20,378
13,626
18,869
100.0
60.8
109.4
59.5
39.8
55.1
* Includes shell egg equivalents for egg products but not hatching eggs
EU Commission

23. The eight leading non-EU countries of destination for EU egg exports
in 2010 and 2015; data in t
2010
2015
Country
Exports
Share (%)
Japan
52,923
29.1
73,487
25.9
Switzerland
45,072
24.8
USA
49,451
17.5
Angola
10,414
5.7
41,593
14.7
Taiwan
7,145
3.9
Un. Arab. E.
15,113
5.3
Thailand
6,168
3.4
Israel
11.592
3.1
5,888
3.2
5,147
1.8
Russian Fed.
5,293
2.9
Hong Kong
4,308
1.5
Philippines
3,176
1.7
4,082
1.4
8 countries
136,097
74.9
204,773
72.3
* Includes shell egg equivalents for egg products but not hatching eggs
EU Commission

24. The five leading non-EU countries of origin for EU egg imports
in 2010 and 2015; data in t
2010
2015
Country
Imports
Share (%)
USA
14,009
40.9
India
5,743
30.4
Argentina
7,937
23.2
Ukraine
3,665
19.4
3,211
9.4
3,232
17.1
Norway
1,722
5.0
2,745
14.5
Israel
941
2.7
Albania
1,544
8.2
5 countries
27,820
81.2
16,939
89.8
Total
34,244
100.0
18,869
* Includes shell egg equivalents for egg products but not hatching eggs
EU Commission

25. Development of the EU egg trade balance between 2010 and 2015;
data in 1,000 t
Year
Exports
Imports
Surplus
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
182
217
186
220
233
283 34 21 37 20 14 19
148
196
149
200
219
264
Change (%)
+ 55.5
- 44.1
+ 78.4

26. Impacts of the earlier banning of conventional cages in Germany 6.
Case study:
Impacts of the earlier banning
of conventional cages in Germany
and its economic impacts on
the egg industry in Spain and Poland

27. Egg farms and laying hen inventory* in Germany(2000 – 2015)
*Farms and inventory in farms with > 3,000 places

28. Self-sufficiency rate and egg imports by Germany (2000 – 2015)
*Farms and inventory in farms with >3,000 places

29. The development of Germany´s egg imports between 2010 and 2015;
data in mill. pieces
Country of
origin
2010
2012
2014
2015
Change
(%)
Netherlands
Poland
Belgium
France
Spain
Czech. Rep.
Lithuania
Other
5,814
679
431
221
463 59 9
595
4,528
1,005
371 35
101 26 4
249
4,637
772
301
153 49 7
165
4,614
1,161
319 98 51 48 41
449
- 20.6
+ 71.0
- 26.0
- 55.7
- 89.0
- 19.6
+ 35.6
- 24.5
Total
8,271
6,319
6,459
6,781
- 18.0
MEG 2016

30. Development of Germany´s egg imports from Spain between 2010
and 2015; data in mill. pieces
Year
Imports
Index (2010 = 100)
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
462.9
182.8
101.6
153.5
160.6
51,1
100.0
39.5
21.9
33.2
34.7
11.0
MAPA 2016

31. Development of Germany´s egg imports from Poland between 2010
and 2015; data in mill. pieces
Year
Imports
Index (2010 = 100)
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
679
892
1,005
766
1,034
1,161
100.0
131.4
148.0
112.8
152.3
171.0
MEG 2016

32. 7.
New challenges

33. Challenges:
Banning of beak treatment
Banning of killing male one-day old chicks
Cage-free trends in retail and fast-food restaurants
Reduction resp. banning of the use of antibiotics
Increase of the share of vegetarians resp. vegans
Negative image of the poultry industry – risk of loosing
the license to produce

34. I want to thank my
Colleague,
Dr. Aline Veauthier,
for designing
the maps and
graphs of this
presentation
and in the
Special Report

35. Thank you for your attention !