The combined egg production of 46 of the world's poorest countries is 27 times smaller than that of the world's 10 largest egg-producing nations. Egg production in the world's least developed countries is often overlooked and simply assumed to be low, however, directly comparing population numbers, layer inventories and egg production, reveals just how wide the difference between these countries and the world's largest producers has become.
In 2018, the world's 10 leading egg-producing countries accounted for 67.6% of the global layer flock and were home to 56.4% of the global population. With 5.1 billion laying hens, they produced 52.5 million tonnes of eggs or 68.4% of the worldwide total.
In contrast, the 46 least developed countries (LDCs), with a population of 1 billion, and 13.2% of the global laying hen inventory, contributed only 2.5% to global egg production.
The population of these LDCs may only be a quarter of that of the leading egg-producing nations, however, their egg output is a remarkable 27 time lower.
By continent, five of the 10 leading countries are found in Asia and account for 48.8% of global egg production. Three are in the Americas, contributing 15.5% to the total, while two are in Europe, accounting for 4.4% of global output.
In contrast, 31 of the 46 LDCs were in Africa, and combined they contributed just 0.9% to global egg output, while nine Asian countries contributed 1.6%. Five countries in Oceania and one in the Americas, combined, contributed less than 0.1%.
Efficiency is key
While low output may be a common feature when compared to the leading egg-producing countries, these low production countries are not all the same and differences are apparent between continents. Not only is there a wide difference in each country's share of the population, but also in laying hen numbers and output.
The highest LDC population is in Africa, followed by Asia, Oceania and then the Americas. The same ranking occurs when countries are listed by laying hen inventories and by egg production. Yet in Africa, for example, LDCs account for 30.2% of the laying hen inventory and 21.1% of the continent's egg production. A similar situation is apparent in Asia, where the continent's share in egg production is much lower than its population.
Table 2 lists the 10 leading LDCs by egg production in 2018, and a notable regional concentration can be seen. The two leading countries, Myanmar and Bangladesh accounted for 55.8% of the group of LDC's total egg production.
Production in both countries rose by over 300,000 tonnes during the preceding decade. In Myanmar, the layer flock grew by 35.9 million birds, while in Bangladesh it rose by 81.5 million birds.
Myanmar is a more efficient producer than Bangladesh. Among the factors contributing to this improvement was an investment made by the CP Group, along with the increasing use of hybrid hens and the use of high-quality compound feed on commercial farms.
Six African countries also appear in the table and these too have made progress. Tanzania has made remarkable progress due to increasing domestic demand and egg production coming from both large commercial farms and backyard flocks.
When comparing the production volumes of the two leading Asian countries with most of those in Africa the contrast is obvious, reflecting the low-efficiency levels in much of the continent.
A comparison of layer hen inventories and egg production in LDCs reveals how inefficient egg production is in these countries when compared with industrialized countries or those close to being deemed industrialized.
There are various contributors to this lack of efficiency, but primary among them is the use of local breeds, lower quality feed and a lack of veterinary services. Additionally, in many countries, backyard flocks are still the main source of eggs. Moreover, in Asia, avian influenza is an ongoing threat.
It should be remembered that official hen inventory and egg production data may not entirely reflect the actual situation these countries, and low numbers may not necessarily mean that there is an insufficient egg supply to feed the rural population. It should also be remembered that, in many farms, laying hens are dual-purpose birds, raised not only for eggs but also for meat.
A further complication with assessing these countries is that there is little data available on per capita egg consumption, so it is particularly difficult to calculate self-sufficiency levels.
Close to 60% of the laying flock in the group of least developed countries is concentrated in just two countries. | Windhorst
While Bangladesh may have the largest layer flock among the least developed countries, Myanmar’s more efficient production means that it produces more eggs. | Windhorst
