AMID reports of shrinking table egg sizes due to the El Niño, the Department of Agriculture in Central Visayas (DA 7) advised chicken raisers to provide poultry with ample water supply and supplements, and to monitor ventilation of poultry houses.
Zeam Amper, livestock program coordinator of the DA 7, advised raisers of layer, broiler and native chickens to properly implement their health programs to eliminate factors that could add stress to their poultry.
“If there are non-normal number of mortalities in (your)farm, please report (them) to (your) municipal agriculture office para naa tay (so we can have) proper reporting and we could make an immediate response,” he said.
The Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Unit of the DA 7 said it has not yet received reports of damage or deaths in the livestock and poultry sectors due to the El Niño phenomenon in Central Visayas.
As of April 19, 2024, the agriculture sector, which included poultry and livestock, had incurred an estimated P1.236 billion worth of damage due to the El Niño phenomenon, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
Egg size affected
In a recent radio interview, Philippine Egg Board Association president Francis Uyehura said the extreme heat is taking a toll on the production, as well as sizes of egg, especially as chickens eat less than usual due to the hot weather.
“Ang malaking epekto po nito...ay ‘yung paghina ng pagkain ng ating mga alagang manok. Ang resulta po nito ay ‘yung pagbaba ng egg production at ‘yung significant na pagliit ng mga sizes (ng itlog). ‘Yung distribution po ng mga sizes ng mga itlog na nakukuha natin ay nagkakaroon ng imbalance. Mas marami po ‘yung mas maliliit kesa sa malalaki ng sizes ng itlog,” he said.
(The significant impact of this...is the decrease in feed intake of our poultry. As a result, egg production declines, and there is a significant reduction in egg sizes. The distribution of egg sizes we obtain becomes imbalanced, with more smaller than larger ones.)
Aside from the El Niño phenomenon, the country is experiencing intense heat due to the dry season.
The Department of Science and Technology earlier said that the prevailing El Niño phenomenon or dry spell may persist until August 2024.
Uyehura said that they also have a big problem with the increase in mortality of chickens because of heat stroke.
Sought for an explanation to Uyehura’s statement, Amper said this phenomenon is related to the physiology of chickens. Chickens, he said, normally have a higher body temperature, around 40 degrees Celsius, compared to humans at 37 to 38 degrees Celsius.
As the surrounding temperature increases with the El Niño phenomenon, it can exacerbate the chicken’s body temperature, causing stress and affecting their appetite, resulting in reduced feed consumption.
This, in turn, can impact the quality of eggs they produce.
“Reduced feed consumption leads to smaller eggs because chickens lack the necessary nutrients for normal egg production,” Amper said in Cebuano.
Amper, however, noted that this phenomenon is not unique during dry spells, saying it can also occur during abrupt changes in environmental temperature, including during typhoons.
Production
Uyehura said the production of smaller eggs has contributed to the price increase of larger eggs. Prices for extra-small to medium-sized eggs are declining due to oversupply.
He said the prices of eggs started to drop in late January this year. After the holiday season and until now, the price has been continuously decreasing. He said they are hoping to see a stabilized price by April or May.
Uyehura reiterated, though, that the quality of eggs, especially its nutritional value, remains unchanged. He also noted that the size of an egg is not classified by its visual features but by its standard weight.
Meanwhile, Amper said the egg production in Central Visayas has not yet been affected by the El Niño phenomenon.
In terms of production, he said Bantayan Island in northern Cebu has the highest egg production in the region. The majority of the island’s production not only caters to Cebu but also to the region’s neighboring provinces.
The DA 7 forecast a production of around 25,250 metric tons (MT) of egg for the first quarter of 2024. The majority, or 21,048.26, will come from poultry farms in Cebu. The other sources of eggs will come from Bohol (2,542.18 MT), Negros Oriental (1,491.85 MT) and Siquijor (170.35 MT).
Consumers, resellers
Rommel, a store owner in Mandaue City who declined to give his last name, noticed a decrease in the size of the eggs he sells starting in April this year.
He said the reduction in egg size directly influenced his pricing. Previously priced at P7.50 each, he now sells them for P6.
Creslen Cabio, 32, an egg consumer, told Sunstar Cebu that while she’s noticed eggs getting cheaper, they’ve also become smaller. However, she views this as an opportunity to save money.
“Barato siya pero gamay sad ang itlog. Maka save kog dako dako diri kay kung didto ko mopalit sa store mas dako ang patong nila”, she said
(The eggs are smaller, but at least it’s cheaper. I save a lot compared to buying from the store with their higher prices.)
Currently, the price range for eggs varies from P6 to P9.50 apiece, depending on the size of the eggs. / TPM, CAV