In 2006, my country's egg production exceeded 28 million tons, accounting for about 48% of the world's total production, of which egg production was 24 million tons, accounting for about 40% of the world's total egg production. In 1992, my country's per capita egg possession reached 8.7 kilograms, exceeding the world average of 6.6 kilograms for the first time. In 1996, the per capita egg possession reached 16 kilograms, exceeding the average level of developed countries of 13.5 kilograms. In 2006, the per capita egg possession was close to 18 kilograms. Although my country's laying hen industry has achieved such rapid development, the current production level is still relatively low, the level of large-scale and mechanized production is relatively backward, product quality is poor, and the environmental pollution of chicken raising is worrying. In particular, the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in my country in early 2004 revealed the problems existing in the production of laying hens in my country.
1. Layer production cost control issues
In my country, the per capita egg consumption of 17 to 18 kilograms is sufficient for a country with a lower income level. Entering the 21st century, as the main body of the consumption pattern shifts, the per capita consumption level will not continue to rise significantly. my country's laying hen industry has entered a "platform period" of slow growth, and industrial development has become saturated, which will lead to competition among laying hen producers. Intensified, even a good harvest may not necessarily be a good harvest, and there may even be losses. If laying hen producers face low profits or losses for a long time, it will not be conducive to the stability and development of the laying hen industry, nor to the stable demand of consumers.
Although my country is the largest country in raising laying hens, the unit production level, cost control, and quality control of laying hens are still not as good as other advanced countries. The egg-to-egg ratio cannot reach the normal level, and the feed-to-egg ratio of 3:1 keeps feed costs high. What needs to be done now is to control the total amount of development and improve the level of yield and overall quality. At the same time, significant cost savings are achieved. If the social average yield level of laying hens in my country can be increased to 15 kilograms, the number of laying hens in stock can be reduced by 300 million to 400 million yuan. Calculated based on an investment cost of 20 yuan per chicken, an investment of 6 billion to 8 billion yuan can be saved every year; If investment in supporting breeder chickens and other aspects are included, the total savings will be even greater.
2. Product quality issues
The quality and hygiene of eggs are directly related to people's health. Consumers are also paying more and more attention to food safety, hygiene, quality issues, greenness and safety. Consumption of , nutritious and healthy eggs has become a general trend. However, at present, my country's laying hen industry has not paid due attention to this aspect. Problems such as drug residues and poor egg quality have not been effectively controlled. This has not only destroyed the market competitiveness of egg products, but also affected the health and normalcy of the laying hen industry. Development has also harmed the interests and health of consumers, and also affected people's consumption psychology and people's normal demand for egg products.
From a technical perspective, the most important aspects of the hygienic quality of eggs are disease control, salmonella quarantine, drug residue control and feed raw material quality control. ① Factors such as the health status of the chickens and the quality of the feed ingredients and drugs used have caused the quality of egg products to decline. For example, the eggshells of brown-shell laying hens often have different shades of color, the surface of the eggshells is rough, and there are dark brown spots attached to them. etc., affecting consumers' desire to purchase, and not meeting the egg export standards; ② The positive rate of pathogenic microorganisms such as Salmonella, Escherichia coli, and Mycoplasma in eggs is relatively high, and the residual amounts of certain specific testing drugs exceed the standards. These are not only the reasons for my country's egg export The main obstacle is also an important restricting factor for egg products to enter the domestic consumer market. ③During the production process of laying hens, producers did not pay due attention to the environmental pollution caused by the production process. Chicken manure was piled up everywhere, sewage flowed everywhere, and dead chickens were discarded or sold casually. This also caused the egg An important reason why chicken diseases are difficult to effectively control.
3. The problem of single product level
The lack of truly high-quality and high-end egg products cannot meet the needs of different consumer classes and consumer groups. Generally speaking, the added value of products through reprocessing can reach 1 to 3 times. Deep processing of egg products is an important measure to stimulate consumption growth, stabilize laying hen production, and stabilize market prices. It is also the core of industrialized management of laying hens. Many foreign experiences tell us that our country’s laying hen products should focus on research and promotion in terms of processing technology and technology, egg processing machinery automation, cleaning, disinfection, graded eggs, liquid eggs, separated eggs, special egg powder, biochemical products, etc. and applications, organize production according to the needs of domestic and foreign markets, and increase the share of corporate products in the international market.
4. Industrial structure problems of small scale and large groups
Small scale and large groups are the basic structure of my country’s current laying hen production, resulting in small scale and large groups in my country’s layer industry There are many structural reasons, mainly in the following aspects:
(1) The production model with a large number of small farmers as the basic operating unit and the underdevelopment of my country's rural economy have led to deficiencies in capital investment by my country's farmers. , thus determining the objective capital base of my country's laying hen industry, which is characterized by a small-scale production model.
(2) The existence of a large number of surplus labor in rural areas of our country is the objective manpower basis for the formation of the laying hen industry characterized by "large groups". The contradiction between more people and less land and the advancement of mechanization of the planting industry have left a large amount of surplus labor in rural areas. Due to restrictions in the development process of industrialization and other reasons, this part of the surplus labor cannot be effectively transferred, thus forming the laying hen industry. The objective manpower basis of "large groups".
(3) The investment in the laying hen industry can be large or small, the technology is relatively simple, and there are basically no barriers to entry, making it possible for the majority of farmers in my country to invest in the laying hen industry on a small scale. The small-scale, large-group laying hen industry structure provides a fundamental guarantee for the rapid development of the laying hen industry in my country during the growth period.
After my country's laying hen industry has entered a "platform period" of slow growth, the shortcomings of small-scale and large-group structures and the resulting "behavioral defects or obstacles" of market entities have also become more and more serious. It is clearly shown that it seriously restricts the sustainable development of my country's laying hen industry. Main manifestations: ① The industrial structure of small scale and large groups is one of the main reasons for the large price fluctuations. The laying hen industry is in a state of perfect competition. The cyclical biological characteristics of laying hen production and the elasticity of demand for eggs are less than the supply elasticity of the economy. The scientific characteristics are typical "cobweb instability" conditions, which make prices and output fluctuate more and more, moving further and further away from the equilibrium point, resulting in large fluctuations in prices. ②The industrial structure of small scale and large groups reduces the effective allocation and utilization efficiency of resources, and cannot effectively allocate society and natural resources. ③The industrial structure of small-scale and large-scale groups is difficult to realize modern production methods characterized by technology-intensiveness. ④The small-scale, large-group layer hen industry structure determines that layer hen farmers are unable to sell their products directly to the terminal market. In this way, middlemen have become an indispensable link for layer hen producers to achieve product sales, resulting in relatively The high product sales cost fully illustrates that the current industrial structure of laying hens in my country has led to unreasonable product transaction costs. ⑤The industrial structure of small-scale and large-scale laying hens still faces obstacles in technology transformation and promotion, so there is no room for technological innovation. ⑥Small-scale production is not conducive to deep processing of products.
What we need to think rationally now is: optimize the industrial structure, develop an industrial structure model with medium-scale as the main body and large, medium and small-scale coexistence, guide and encourage the laying hen industry to develop towards the integration of production, supply and marketing, Strengthen the deep processing capabilities of laying hen industry products, strengthen the development of market potential, strengthen brand strategic awareness, increase export trade, expand market share, and gradually form a balanced supply environment in all seasons.
5. Environmental pollution problem
No matter what the feeding method is, one of the most common sources of environmental pollution is the chicken itself. A chicken is a source of pollution, and a chicken farm is a pollutant discharge site. The intestinal length of chickens is only 6 to 7 times its body length. In addition, the metabolic rate is high and feed passes through the intestines quickly. There are more organic matter residues in the feces than other livestock feces, and the loss of nitrogen and phosphorus is large, resulting in air, Soil and water pollution. Various harmful gases such as ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides produced by raising chickens seriously affect the growth and development of chickens, and are discharged into the atmosphere, exacerbating air pollution and endangering human health. The unreasonable use of additives in compound feeds leaves a large amount of antibiotics and chemically synthesized drugs in egg products and their feces, which not only affects the quality of laying hen products, the safety and health of laying hens, but also directly affects human life safety and health. . There are also pathogenic microorganisms, high copper, high zinc and other heavy metals that pollute the environment.
The production of laying hens ignores public and environmental sanitation, resulting in water, soil, and air pollution. The development of my country's layer hen industry has ignored the problem of cost transfer (environmental cost). At present, most of the layer hen farms in my country do not pay attention to environmental protection, sustainable development and other issues, and rarely consider the environmental pollution caused by raising chickens to society and society. The country also lacks specific relevant policy measures for the damage caused to the ecological environment.
6. Brand and trademark issues for egg products
Brand competition is the only way out for product competitiveness in the future, and using brands to drive industrial development has become the development direction of the laying hen industry. A good brand is guaranteed by the excellent quality of the product and needs to be cultivated through long-term continuous building and maintenance. Brand represents: credibility, safety, nutrition, value, identity, confidence. Once a brand is chosen in line with consumer values, people will be loyal to the brand and convey this brand value. The brand is patterned, registered, and becomes a trademark. Trademarks are closely related to brands. Once a trademark is registered, it obtains the patent rights of a certain "brand name" and can be legally protected, and other companies are not allowed to use it fraudulently.
For many years, Chinese consumers have basically picked out the eggs they eat from large piles in the free market without brands. With the transition from the product era to the brand era, social consumption has now changed. Eggs enter supermarkets. If there is no brand, not only will few people buy them, but the price will be low, and they will not even enter the market. At present, many regions or large leading companies have registered their own egg trademarks, but there are still many small and medium-sized farmers who are far from realizing the importance of brands and trademarks, which is very detrimental to the development of the industry.