E-mail: nass-ny@nass.usda.gov
(518) 457-5570

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact:  Joe Morse

Monday, January 26, 2009

www.nass.usda.gov/ny


                    NEW YORK EGG PRODUCTION UP 5 PERCENT

                                In December

Egg production on New York farms totaled 103 million eggs in December 2008,
up 5 percent from last year, according to Stephen Ropel, Director of USDA’s
National Agricultural Statistics Service, New York office.

The number of hens and pullets of laying age, at 4.15 million, increased 6
percent from December 2007 but the rate of lay decreased 1 percent to 2,485
eggs per 100 layers.

A dozen eggs brought New York poultry farmers an average of 89 cents per
dozen for eggs sold in December, down 3.6 cents from November and down 40.4
cents from December 2007.

U.S. egg production totaled 7.78 billion during December 2008, down
slightly from last year. Production included 6.71 billion table eggs, and
1.07 billion hatching eggs, of which 1.00 billion were broiler-type and 67
million were egg-type. The total number of layers during December 2008
averaged 341 million, down 1 percent from last year. December egg
production per 100 layers was 2,281 eggs, up 1 percent from December 2007.

U.S. Egg-type chicks hatched during December 2008 totaled 36.4 million, up
1 percent from December 2007.  Eggs in incubators totaled 36.7 million on
January 1, 2009, up 2 percent from a year ago.  The information in this
release is available by free email subscription by subscribing to New York
reports at www.nass.usda.gov/ny.

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1-26-09