Feed Shortages Impact Egg Production in Venezuela
VENEZUELA - The National Association of Egg Producers (Asoprohuevos) has reported that production in the egg sector fell 40 per cent as a result of the difficulties faced by farmers in purchasing feed and medicines for laying hens.He said some 4,000,000 hens have stopped producing eggs, one of the items that most Venezuelans consume.
Rafael Olmos, vice president of the organisation, said the decrease in production is down to a shortage of raw material for the production of animal feed. "We went through a very serious crisis, we have no way to feed these layers and this slows the activity of poultry farms," he said.
Mr Olmos noted that acquiring these inputs currently means farms need a lot of capital. "Food, medicine and other raw materials are bought at inflated prices," he said.
He added that egg prices are not currently covering farmers' costs.