POULTRY PUNCH - FEBRUARY 2019

ARTICLE
NEWS
Before choosing a marketing channel or channels to market eggs, producers should carefully evaluate the following
factors:
• Market requirements and their ability to meet these
• The type of intermediaries available
• The number of intermediaries necessary to reach the market
• Alternative intermediaries different from the established marketing channel
• The responsibilities of intermediaries and terms of possible agreements
• Costs involved
• The possibility of selling through a number of marketing channels.
Egg marketing opportunities and strategies
1. There are variety of brands, sizes, white or brown shell eggs, specialty eggs, liquid or frozen eggs, carton sizes,
package labeling and coding, and price relationships of shell eggs, liquid, and frozen egg products displayed for sale.
2. Over a period of time, eggs have been considered an essential part of daily meals of the common men across the
world. The occurrence of avian influenza also could not impact the global egg consumption. But when the population
became aware about the living conditions of the egg-laying hens, especially in developed countries, it led to ban on
conventional cage system of egg laying.
3. This has induced a significant change in the process in egg production across the region, as production costs of freerange
eggs are higher. This has provided an opportunity to the egg producers across Asia and America to fulfill the
demand-supply gap created in the EU countries.
4. With growing base of the middle class population and their increasing purchasing power, the per capita consumption of
eggs has increased constantly across major Asian nations such as China and India. Since the population in the region
is high, the smallest rise in the per-capita consumption triggers a significant upswing in the retail egg market.
5. Asia Pacific, especially China and India, dominates the global eggs market. China consumes around 40% of the global
eggs consumption each year. Eggs are a vital component of average diet of the Chinese population. Eggs are eaten all
across china and are also used as additives and ingredients.
Important steps for improvement of egg and egg products marketing
1. We were interested in the growing presence of specialty eggs available to consumers in the retail setting. Specialty
eggs have one or more features beyond conventional white or brown eggs. The real advantage of specialty eggs is that
they offer consumers a choice; they do not appear to distract from conventional egg marketing and may even enhance
marketing of conventional eggs, as conventional eggs are priced lower than specialty eggs (Blank, 1997).
2. Many specialty egg cartons carried statements about the management of the hens or the feed ingredients that might
be viewed as desirable from a marketing standpoint. Statements included: “free of pesticides and antibiotics, free of
hormones and antibiotics, drug free, no hormones or antibiotics, and without drugs or antibiotics.”
3. Organic eggs and their products were the least prevalent subtype of specialty eggs observed in the retail outlets.
Organic cartons carried statements such as “organic feed,” “certified organic feed,” and “fed certified organic grain.”
4. Before new or improved marketing methods are introduced, an accurate survey of current industry conditions should be
made, and an understanding of production and consumption patterns and factors that have determined these should
be developed.
5. Marketing improvement programmes may range in their objectives from relatively simple changes in handling and
packaging methods to a reorganization of the marketing channels. Frequently, important marketing improvements
can be effected simply by correcting specific handling, transport, packaging, grading and storing methods. Efficient
marketing must satisfy consumers’ demands and preferences.
References
Elson, H.A. (2011). Housing and Husbandry of Laying Hens: Past, Present and Future. Lohmann Information, 46, 16-24.
Blank, C. (1997). Demand for organic eggs soars. Egg Industry, 102:(7)1.
Patterson PH. et., all.( 2001). Egg marketing in national supermarkets: specialty eggs--part 2, . Poult Sci. 2001;80(4):390-5
Text book of Poultry, Egg and Fish Processing Technology by A.K Biswas and P.K Mandal
82 February, 2019