The size of chicken eggs is shrinking – and El Niño is to blame, according to the Philippine Egg Board Association (PEBA).
Francis Uyehara, President of PEBA, highlighted the grim situation in a recent radio interview Thursday, April 18.
He attributed the decline in egg sizes to reduced feed intake by chicken layers struggling to cope with the relentless heat.
"The repercussions of El Niño are reverberating across all farm producers, particularly in the northern regions,"
Uyehara remarked, underscoring a significant mortality rate among chicken layers due to heat-related ailments.
"The soaring temperatures have disrupted our chickens' feed consumption, leading to a notable decrease in production and a skewed size distribution, with an overabundance of small-sized eggs,” he explained.
According to Uyehara, the production of large eggs has seen a decline ranging between two and five percent, a significant setback considering its nationwide implications.
Moreover, the subdued demand for eggs compounds the issue, with fewer consumers purchasing due to the absence of major events and irregular school schedules, resulting in a sluggish market.
Reflecting on the economic impact, Uyehara noted a drop in the farmgate price of small eggs, plummeting between P4.50 and P5.40 per piece since late January, with no signs of recovery in sight.
While egg producers are hopeful for stabilization in farmgate prices from this month until May, concerns persist regarding the coordination between the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the bird flu vaccine.
Addressing the bureaucratic hurdles, Uyehara stressed the urgency for resolution, emphasizing the need for streamlined processes to mitigate delays hampering poultry industry stakeholders.
Amid these challenges, some poultry raisers have resorted to illicit online purchases of vaccines, underscoring the pressing need for swift governmental action and industry-wide cooperation to safeguard public health and the poultry sector's viability.
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