2120 final report.pdf - Agra CEAS Consulting

APPENDIX 1: MEMBER STATE REPORTSA1.7.2.3. Main production systemsTotal egg production in Greece in 2003 was 128,500 tonnes (approximately 2.48 billion eggs). Twothirds of this takes place in commercial systems with the rest in less intensive back-yard flocks foron-farm consumption and direct farm-gate sales.The dominant production system is the traditional cage (accounting for approximately 98% ofcommercial egg production). According to the producers, the use of alternative egg productionsystems in commercial flocks started 4 to 5 years ago. The main alternative systems in use are freerange and barn, although these only account for up to 2% of total production 88 . There are someorganic flocks, but these account for less than 1% of total egg production.There is one producer in northern Greece with enriched cages, although production has yet to workits way through the figures. Producers are generally not willing to invest in enriched cages as theyclaim that this will dramatically increase their production costs. As a result, a wait and see approachto enriched cages has been adopted whilst current plans are more likely to involve increases in theuse of alternative systems.The official register of production units is still being undertaken and as a result the only available datafor alternative production is from the Organisation for the Certification of Agricultural Products(AGROCERT). According to their register for certified alternative systems (which make up a sub-setof total alternative production), production in 2003 accounted for 128,083 kg (just more than 3million eggs).The Greek surplus of free range eggs was 14,000 in 2002, rising to 692,550 in 2003. The surplus ofbarn eggs was 134,640 in 2003 see Table A1.47.Table A1.47: Eggs delivered and sold by alternative system 2002-20032002 2003Laying hens Eggs delivered Eggs sold Laying hens Eggs delivered Eggs soldFree range eggs 2,200 403,000 389,000 14,500 2,383,470 1,690,920Barn eggs - 13,500 749,220 614,580Source: DG Agri and AGROCERT.A1.7.2.4. Technical dataCurrent technical data were established through interviews with the major players in the Greekindustry. The figures presented in Table A1.48 are averages calculated from the ranges provided andtherefore mask a fair degree of variation. Clearly the actual performances achieved by individualfarms can vary widely. A key point of difference with other Member States is the long empty periodbetween laying cycles.88 The only data relating to production by system held by DG Agri states that 2,200 laying hens were kept in free range systems in 2002.197