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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact:  Joe Morse
Wednesday, April 22, 2009

www.nass.usda.gov/ny

                    NEW YORK EGG PRODUCTION UP 5 PERCENT
                                  IN MARCH

Egg production on New York farms totaled 103 million eggs in March 2009, 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 4.14 million, increased 3
percent from March 2008 and the rate of lay increased 2 percent to 2,487
eggs per 100 layers.

A dozen eggs brought New York poultry farmers an average of 62.2 cents per
dozen for eggs sold in March, down 1.1 cents from February and down 70
cents from March 2008.

U.S. egg production totaled 7.72 billion during March 2009, up 1 percent
from last year.  Production included 6.63 billion eggs, and 1.09 billion
hatching eggs, of which 1.02 billion were broiler-type and 75 million were
egg-type.  The total number of layers during March 2009 averaged 340
million, down slightly from last year.  March egg production per 100 layers
was 2,269 eggs, up 1 percent from March 2008.

U.S. egg-type chicks hatched during March 2009 totaled 40.1 million, up 1
percent from March 2008.  Eggs in incubators totaled 37.6 million on April
1, 2009, up slightly 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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4-22-09