Egg producers anticipate huge losses

Egg producers expect they will sustain losses of millions of lei as they have to stamp the eggs from January 1, 2012. Some of the economic entities consider the implementation of the new system will lead to considerable rises in the price of eggs, while others predict they will have to fire employees sorting eggs. On the other hand, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry says this is a condition imposed by the EU and it cannot be neglected, Info-Prim Neo reports. Iurie Urzica, director general of the poultry factory “Avicola” in Corlateni, Rasccani, said the new system is very expensive. “It will seriously affect our company as the marking equipment costs €200,000 and more. It is a large investment, but I must make it,” he said. He added they may buy much cheaper equipment for marking eggs, but in this case they must also buy stamps and employ more workers. The equipment of €200,000 sorts and marks 50,000 eggs an hour. Iurie Urzica also said that the producers will have to recoup the investments and will thus raise the price of eggs. But the new system will not guarantee that the eggs are fresh as the poultry breeders can put the stamp when the eggs are sold, not when they are produced. Tudor Sarbu, director of the egg factory in Tarnova, Donduseni, said that some of the employees will lose their jobs owing to the new system. “I now have 20 employees, but only eight of them will remain after the new marking equipment is installed as there will be no need of manual labor,” he stated, adding somebody is probably interested in implementing this system, but some of the producers may disappear as they will be unable to stamp the eggs. For his part, Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Vasile Bumacov said the producers will have to mark the eggs in accordance with the law. “The Government Decision was extended two times. From 2012 they will have to stamp the eggs. The equipment costs €3,000-4,000. The expensive equipment is for large companies,” he stated. He also said that the breeders will not be able to increase the price of eggs as their products will not be in demand if they are expensive. He considers the producers that intend to resort to layoffs are unserious. The minister stated that the producers that will stamp the eggs when it will be favorable for them will be examined by the Sanitary-Veterinary Agency for the Security of Products of Animal Origin. According to him, in Moldova there are over 15 egg producers. Most of them have special equipment for marking eggs. On June 24, 2010, the Government approved a decision whereby the poultry breeders are obliged to indicate the production day on all the eggs.