What more to preserve the intimacy of the setting: limas para las uñas, baños de arena e instalaciones más espaciosas.

The quality of life of the hens that are raised in farms for the production of eggs has been improved thanks to the European directive on animal welfare that came into force last month of January.

For the professionals of the sector, however, the new requirements have resulted in a headache in the form of required investments and reduction of the census of animals, that at least is being rewarded with an increase in the prices they receive for their product.

According to the Observatory of Prices of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment, in a year has doubled, practically, the price at the origin of the dozen eggs a class M, which in the first week of January 2012 was listed to 0.96 euros, compared to 0.52 for the same period of 2011. 

So far this year, the average price has risen by 50%.

€1.44, an escalation that is attributed to the decrease of the offer by the reduction of the ratio of birds per square meter.

No baja la demanda.

La demanda, no obstante, no ha bajado, y eso que el consumidor ya empieza a notar que le cuesta más llevarse a casa este alimento básico de la dieta; en torno a 40 céntimos más caros resultan los huevos en algunos establecimientos albaceteños, y los comerciantes prevén que el precio seguirá aumentando si continúa la tónica de las últimas semanas.

Eso sí, recordaban que las tiendas minoristas son «el último eslabón de la cadena» y que el problema afecta de lleno al sector productor.

“We have less margin because we try not to pass on 100% of the increase to customers,” said one salesperson.

According to data from the Observatory, the dozen classes M maintained with a slight variation to hike their prices in destiny, going from 1.29 to 1.32 in the year, while, in the first three months of 2011, the price was 1.30 euros.

El presidente de la Asociación de Avicultores de Castilla-La Mancha (Avicam), Juan Julián Sánchez, subrayó que la información del Ministerio está influida por los precios de las exportaciones a Europa, a un coste menor, y la política de las grandes superficies de contención de precios en productos “reclamo” como los huevos.

For this reason, and in front of other foods that multiply its value dramatically in their way from the producer to the consumer, the eggs are paying, as of today, the most expensive on the farm than in the store.

"What is happening is that what we perceived before by our products it was ridiculous; it is not now the price is exorbitant, but, before even we got to cover costs and, with the new rules of well-being, has been to make a lot of investments and the farms that they were having a worse have not been able to deal with it and have had to close, so that has also declined the offer," said the president of Avicam, an association that represents almost all the sector in Castilla La Mancha.

Animals raised on farms for human consumption have rights, as recognized by the European Union through animal welfare regulations that have been in place for years.

The last requirements in this area affect the poultry of making and the swine sector, whose holdings need to catch up with living quarters more comfortable for their tenants.

In the case of hens, the Policy that you just enter into force with the new year provides for an increase of 36% in the available space, so that the birds can move around better.

It also conditions the cage, with new features like a nest to lay eggs in the intimacy; perches to climb to relax and areas where each individual is able to dig the earth to your whim.

Census

With a census in Castilla La Mancha of around 14 million laying hens, Avicam estimates the cost of the new facilities at around €15 per hen, an expense that has not come at the best time due to the crisis.

However, Sanchez says, “you have to comply with the law,” and that is what we are doing to the producers, but suffer from other problems such as the difficulties of finding funding to cover their investments, or the increase of costs in supplies as I think.

Poultry farmers have invested, in general, to adapt and continue in the activity. Without a doubt, in this process is lost production, but it is also a time of modernization and renewal in the sector that opens up new possibilities for the future, pointing from Avicam.

The association, which has among its purposes to encourage the quality of the production through training, research, innovation, and the promotion of the nutritional properties of the egg, estimates that the cost of the European regulation for the sector in Castilla La Mancha is about 120 million euros.

Work to upgrade the cages has been ongoing for years—the directive originally dates back to 1999, and there are still “a few loose ends” that need to be tied up by July 31, although according to Sánchez, as of today, virtually 100% of farms in Castilla La Mancha are compliant.

To support this process, the Board of Communities published last year a call for aid to cover 15% of the investment, which the producers have not yet been charged.

Aid

Juan Alcazar, at the head of a family farm in Villarrobledo with almost two decades of experience in the activity, confirmed that are pending to perceive the grant, which covers, "according to the census of chickens", a little over a euro per seat.

He pointed out that, at least, Castilla La Mancha has counted with the aid, and indicated that other communities have had to cope with the changes without any public support.

In your case, the investment has been “very heavy” and has had to do without, to remodel the ships to give them more space, 10,000 birds. “We are currently fully adapted,” he said this professional Villarrobledo, who assessed that they have raised the prices to be able to face with guarantees the future of the business.

However, the conditions set by the European Union on animal welfare can be considered “minimum” when compared to what is required in sectors such as organic livestock farming:

«Ahí estamos ante productos de calidad diferenciada y los requisitos son mucho más estrictos», dijo el representante de UPA Castilla-La Mancha, quien señaló que los pocos ejemplos de este tipo de ganadería que hay en la región son explotaciones «extensivas o semi-extensivas», con ganados que deben pastar en fincas también ecológicas.

Organic production

Or Avicam or Argapor have partners that focus their activity in organic production: it's too expensive and, as pointed out by the representatives of these associations, there is little consumer demand in the Spanish market; the few farms that work are oriented to export. And is that, in times of crisis, there are few who are willing to pay a little more for what they eat.

There is also an added problem that Gomez del Castillo did not want to overlook: whereas community producers are required to comply with regulations such as animal welfare, which implies increased costs, third countries does not possess them, and, however, placed its products in Europe, imports that compete directly with the local productions.

Fuente: La Verdad — Albacete 2012