Egg producers expressed that the need for employees is still critical during a United Egg Producers (UEP) briefing Monday afternoon at the 2019 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE). Held at the Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC) in Atlanta, Georgia, February 12-15, 2019, IPPE is the world's largest annual poultry, meat and feed industry event to network and become informed on the issues facing the industry.
Labor shortage is an issue facing every facet of the agriculture industry. An industry professional explained that labor is needed across all areas of egg production, and that the challenge extends far beyond immigration issues.
While labor continues to be a top concern, industry leaders are looking to enhance the efficiency of those already employed in order to assure high standards for food safety, environmental protections and animal care.
Darrin Karcher, Ph.D., assistant professor of Animal Sciences at Purdue University, developed a national needs assessment to identify the education and research needs of the U.S. egg-laying industry. The results of this research are intended to not only help extension programs across the country develop much-needed training programs, but also will be a resource for UEP, a December news post on UnitedEgg.com stated.
The post further stated UEP would use the results of the study to work with all stakeholders on recognized training requests.
Karcher explained after the meeting that while the results of his survey are not public yet, he hopes that they soon will be. With the information he has concluded he and his associates intend to develop training videos that would benefit egg producers in various employee matters.
Other needs for training
During the UEP meeting, John Howeth with the American Egg Board explained that they were working on creating a training program for restaurant employees, in part to help ensure that eggs are properly handled, cooked and stored for consuming.
