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2120 final report.pdf - Agra CEAS Consulting

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APPENDIX 1: MEMBER STATE REPORTS43Number of laying hens (millions)32211-1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002Free range Barn Traditional cagesFigure A1.44: Laying hens by production system 1990-2002Sources: DG Agri, Eurostat, <strong>Agra</strong> <strong>CEAS</strong> <strong>Consulting</strong> calculations.Whilst the Figure shows a sharp decrease in the number of caged laying hens between 1996 and1997, this should be treated with a degree of scepticism. Figure A1.43 in Section A1.8.2 showing totalegg production does not match the decline in laying hen numbers shown above. Further, althoughthe above total laying hen data used to derive caged hen numbers is labelled by Eurostat as beinglaying hens, the Irish industry believe it to be day old chick placements. The Irish industry does notbelieve that there was a dramatic decline in caged hen numbers as shown above.As Figure A1.44 shows, growth in the prevalence of free range production has been fairly steady.The commercial sector was slow to move into free range production and initial growth came fromthe expansion of existing small scale free range units. The comments made by Edwina Curry MP inthe UK regarding salmonella in eggs also had an impact in Ireland and this provided a boost todemand for free range eggs from the late-1980s onwards.Figure A1.45 shows the percentage of laying hens accounted for by alternative systems between 1990and 2002. The percentage of production accounted for by alternative systems grew from 3% in 1990to 31% in 2002. The importance of alternative systems increased fairly steadily between 1990 and1996 and again from 1997 to 2002 with a dramatic increase between these two periods as a result ofthe substantial decrease in caged hen numbers rather than a sudden expansion of the free rangesector see Figure A1.44.210

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