Animal welfare in poultry production systems: impact of EU standards on world trade

Animal welfare receives more legislative attention in the European Union (EU) than in many other regions of the world. Animal welfare standards for poultry are generally taken to be higher in the EU than in producing countries exporting to the EU, particularly developing countries. The recent action plan for animal welfare introduced by the European Commission aims to further expand the body of regulatory standards. In broiler production worldwide, birds are mainly kept on litter. Recently the EU agreed on a new Directive to set standards for maximum bird density. However, this is not considered likely to have a great impact on global trade. At present, the difference in animal conditions, including bird density, in Brazil and Thailand is limited compared to the EU. In egg production the majority of commercial layers are kept in laying cages. There is wide variation in space allowance per bird from 300 to 400 cm in Brazil, Ukraine and India towards the current minimum of 550 cm(2) per hen in the EU. After 2012, hens in the EU will be kept in enriched cages with a minimum space allowance of 750 cm(2) per hen. It is expected that this will have an impact on world trade in egg products and especially egg powder. Trade in table eggs will continue to be limited to the local region. The EU is considering the use of labelling to provide consumers with more information concerning the standard of production. Another option could be to use financial mechanisms such as taxes or tariffs to prevent imports from other countries with lower standards. The likelihood of a measure being challenged would depend on how difficult it was for exporters outside the EU to meet the requirements

Broiler farm size in relation tot sustainability aspects

In the Netherlands the number of broiler farms has been reduced by 50%, while farm size doubled between 1990 and 2008. A debate on the positive and negative aspects of large farms emerge. Many entrepreneurs in the broiler sector use increase in scale as strategy to reduce production cost. However, a critical reflection on the process of scaling up is needed. We investigated various aspects of broiler farm size with three farm sizes: small (fewer than 60,000 birds), medium (60,000 to 120,000 birds) and large (more than 120,000 birds). . The study shows that: - profitability (revenues as % of total cost) is higher on larger farms - gross margin (revenues over feed and chick cost) is higher on larger farms - larger broiler farms have a higher labour productivity (kg broiler live weight / hour) - larger farms more often have certified low ammonia emission poultry houses - there is no clear relationship between mortality and broiler farm size - there is no significant relation between the level of medication (antibiotics) and farm size The size of a broiler house and the equipment used is not related to the farm size. As a result there is no influence of farm size on the physical and social environment of the broilers. Our conclusion is, that larger broiler farms have some clear economic advantages. There is no evidence that there is a negative relation between farm size and animal health and animal welfare

Waardevermindering pluimveevlees besmet met Salmonella enteritidis en Salmonella typhymurium

De doelstelling van het onderzoek is om de waardevermindering van met Salmonella enteritidis (S.e.) en Salmonella typhymurium (S.t.) besmet pluimveevlees van vleeskuikens te bepalen. Hoe hoog is de opbrengstenderving en hoe hoog zijn de extra kosten van maatregelen voor de slachterij of uitsnijderij? Wat is de waardevermindering van levende vleeskuikens in de situatie dat de slachterij de schade doorberekent aan de vleeskuikenhouder vanaf het moment dat dieren besmet zijn bij het stalonderzoek

The future of the Dutch egg processing industry

This research examines the competitiveness of the Dutch egg products industry, as well as the consequences of tightening up the laws concerning layer poultry on the competitive position of the Dutch egg production industry. A tightening of the laws has, in fact, the effect of raising the production cost, and in this research the central question revolves around whether animal welfare-friendly egg products are perceived as products with added value by the buyers of egg products (mainly industrial buyers) and will thus also be offered for sale at a higher price. Furthermore, it will be investigated what the probable developmental directions are in the egg products industry if this higher price cannot be realise

Kostprijs kuikenvlees loopt op

Uit onderzoek naar de kostprijs van kuikenvlees in het jaar 2000 is gebleken dat de productiekosten van kuikenvlees in Nederland, Frankrijk en Duitsland ongeveer 1 euro per kilogram grillergewicht (is circa 70% van levend gewicht) bedragen

Productiekosten van kuikenvlees : een internationale vergelijking

In dit rapport worden de kostprijzen van kuikenvlees in 2007 in verschillende EU-landen vergeleken met Brazilië, Thailand en de Verenigde Staten. Voor alle genoemde landen is een doorkijk gemaakt naar het jaar 2012. Per land zijn de ontwikkelingen op het gebied van dierenwelzijn, milieu en voedselveiligheid in kaart gebracht. Geconcludeerd wordt dat de kosten in Nederland, Duitsland en Polen de komende jaren zullen stijgen. Als gevolg van deze kostenstijging zal het verschil in kostprijs met Brazilië en de Verenigde Staten verder toenemen

Marktverkenning biologische eieren en pluimveevlees

In januari 2001 hebben twaalf organisaties, afkomstig uit de biologische en gangbare pluimveeketen en een aantal maatschappelijke organisaties, een intentieverklaring ondertekend om later dit jaar te komen tot een convenant 'biologische pluimveeproducten'

Kostprijs biologische Vleeskuikens : primaire productiekosten kuikenvlees

A calculation of the production cost deliver important input for the economical situation on a farm. Based on realized farm data and extra information the production costs for organic broilers has been calculated, which approach the practice as good as possible

Kostprijs eieren het hoogst in Nederland

Uit onderzoek naar de kostprijs van consumptie-eieren in het jaar 2000 is gebleken dat de productiekosten van eieren in Nederland 71 eurocent per kilogram bedragen