Construction on China's largest cage-free egg farm, located in Guangdong, a southern region of China, has begun.
The farm will sit on 100 acres and will be constructed in four phases by the province’s local government of Mashi and Guangdong-based egg supplier Tudama Agricultural Development Company.
Initially the farm will only be able to house 200,000 cage-free hens but will ultimately accommodate 500,000 layers by the end of phase four.
China’s cage-free demand
Currently, approximately 90% of China’s egg farms use traditional cages, but the country is slowiy transitioning to more cage-free production as demand grows.
According to a paper published in the journal Animal Frontiers, 50 international food businesses in China have committed to sourcing only cage-free eggs by 2025.
However, the country’s egg industry is uncertain about its consumer demand for cage-free eggs. In 2020, consultancy firms IQC and FAI Farms conducted a consumer survey that found that 40.5% of its participants purchased free-range eggs and only 6.3% purchased cage-free eggs, which could indicate either that there could be a growing awareness for animal welfare in the country or a lack of knowledge about what cage-free production is.
China’s new cage-free program
In April 2023, China announced a new bidding program to help connect food companies with cage-free egg commitments in the country with major egg producers to support the growth of the China’s cage-free egg supply.
The program gives egg producers the opportunity to bid on becoming a cage-free egg supplier for large domestic and multinational companies. Additionally, the bidding program helps encourage companies or individuals who are planning to invest in cage-free production or interested in joint-venturing with buyers on constructing cage-free farms to participate.
The goal of the initiative, developed by industry organization Beijing Egg Association and animal welfare group Lever China, is to give major producers the time to convert a portion of their production to cage free and ensure that food companies have time to satisfy their cage-free pledges.
