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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact:  Joe Morse
Tuesday, March 24, 2009

www.nass.usda.gov/ny

                   NEW YORK EGG PRODUCTION DOWN 1 PERCENT
                                IN FEBRUARY

Egg production on New York farms totaled 91 million eggs in February 2009,
down 1 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 4.10 million, increased 2
percent from February 2008 but the rate of lay decreased 3 percent to 2,218
eggs per 100 layers.

A dozen eggs brought New York poultry farmers an average of 63.3 cents per
dozen for eggs sold in February, down 30.4 cents from January and down 62
cents from February 2008.

U.S. egg production totaled 6.89 billion during February 2009, down 3
percent from last year. Production included 5.91 billion table eggs, and
985 million hatching eggs, of which 917 million were broiler-type and 68
million were egg-type. The total number of layers during February 2009
averaged 341 million, down 1 percent from last year. February egg
production per 100 layers was 2,023 eggs, down 2 percent from February
2008.

U.S. Egg-type chicks hatched during February 2009 totaled 36.9 million,
down 2 percent from February 2008.  Eggs in incubators totaled 37.2 million
on March 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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3-24-09