The U.S. egg industry employs more than 81,000 people
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
American eggs and egg producers are in the spotlight for National Egg Month.
“I think it’s very appropriate that we celebrate the egg in May as spring arrives,” Jim Chakeres, executive vice-president of the Ohio Poultry Association, told Farms.com today. “The egg is a superfood with lots of protein and very is important to our diets. It’s an essential commodity and worth celebrating.”
The egg industry is a major contributor to the U.S. economy.
Egg farming generates $23 billion of annual economic impact, United Egg Producers said. The industry also supports more than 81,000 jobs and pays nearly $5 billion annually in wages.
While the egg is the focus of the month-long celebration, producers shouldn’t be left out of the equation.
U.S. farmers raised 319 million hens in 2016, United Egg Producers said. Each hen produced about 289 eggs that year, equating to about 102 billion eggs.
“The farmers we represent wake up every morning thinking about taking care of their hens and raising healthy, affordable food,” Chakeres said. “They are committed to the environment, to hen welfare and to feeding a hungry consumer. I hope everyone joins in celebrating the egg and egg producers.”
Egg-celent industry numbers
The top five egg producing states are:
- Iowa – 53,044,00 eggs
- Ohio – 27,869,000 eggs
- Indiana – 26,491,000 eggs
- Pennsylvania – 24,244,000 eggs
- California – 16,261 eggs
The top five destinations for U.S. egg exports annually are:
- Mexico – 279 million dozen
- Canada – 58 million dozen
- Hong Kong – 33 million dozen
- Japan – 22 million dozen
- Jamaica – 22 million dozen