World’s Biggest Egg Producers: Top Global Supply

The demand for eggs is going up, making companies look for a cheap source of animal protein¹. In China, egg production jumped by almost 33% from 2009 to 2019 as more people could afford eggs¹. In North America, producers are changing how they raise chickens to answer what people want¹. The top 10 egg producers have more chickens than all the people in Pakistan, a country with a big population¹.

Biggest Egg Producers in The World 2022

In places like the U.S. and Europe, big egg producers are changing to keep up with what people like to eat². In Asia, companies are making sure their eggs are safe and healthy to meet the growing demand². China leads in egg production, making about 462 billion eggs a year. The U.S. and India follow, producing 99 billion and 93 billion eggs respectively².

Key Takeaways

• The global demand for eggs continues to rise, with companies responding to the need for a cheap animal protein.
• China’s egg production grew by almost 33% between 2009 and 2019 as incomes rose.
• The world’s top 10 egg producers own more birds than the population of Pakistan, the fifth-most populous country.
• China is the largest egg-producing country in the world, followed by the United States and India.
• North American producers are transitioning to cage-free and other production systems to meet evolving public demands.

Unveiling the Global Egg Production Giants

A few companies lead the world in egg production³. Just 15 countries make 70% of the world’s eggs, with the top 10 doing nearly 65%³. Today, we produce about 1.182 billion eggs yearly from 6.4 billion hens³.

Ranking the Top Egg Producers

Cal-Maine Foods, a U.S. company, tops the list with 44.3 million hens⁴. This makes it the biggest egg producer worldwide⁴. Mexico’s Proteina Animal (PROAN) is second with 36 million layers, followed by Rose Acre Farms in the U.S. with 27.6 million³.

Thailand’s CP Group and China’s Beijing Deqingyuan Agricultural Technology Co. Ltd. also rank high with 22 million and 20.6 million layers, respectively³. Versova Holdings, Hillandale Farms, Ise Inc. of Japan, and Daybreak Foods in the U.S. are also major players³. Saudi Arabia’s ACOLID rounds out the top 10 with 14.4 million layers³.

These companies have grown to meet the increasing demand for eggs³. As the population grows, their role in providing eggs becomes even more important³.

Worldwide, white and brown eggs are equally popular, each making up half the market³. We produce over 64 million metric tons of eggs yearly, which is about 16,666 eggs per 60 grams each³. This means we get around 1,389 dozen eggs per metric ton³.

The egg production scene has changed a lot in recent years³. From 1990 to 2008, egg production jumped by over 72%, mainly in Asia³. Africa and the Americas also saw big increases³.

Asia now leads in egg production, making up 59% of the total³. The Americas, Europe, Africa, and Oceania follow, with Europe at 16.5%³. The top three egg-producing countries in Asia make up over 46% of the global market, with China alone at nearly 38%³. In Europe, the top three countries supply about 6.5% of the world’s eggs³.

As the population grows and tastes change, these egg production giants will play a key role in keeping eggs available³⁵⁴.

The biggest egg producer in the world: Cal-Maine Foods

Cal-Maine Foods is the top egg producer globally⁶. It has a huge flock of 44.3 million laying hens. This makes it the biggest egg producer in the world⁷.

Since 1957, Cal-Maine Foods has been a leader in the egg industry⁷. It focuses on the North American market, making, grading, packaging, marketing, and distributing shell eggs⁷. In 2023, it made $3.15 billion in net sales, showing its strong market position⁸.

Cal-Maine has grown through expansion and smart buys⁸. Since 1989, it has added 24 companies, boosting its capacity⁸. Key buys include Hudson Brothers in 1999 and Hillandale Farms in 2005, adding millions of layers⁸.

Cal-Maine is moving to cage-free production to meet consumer demands⁷. This move shows its commitment to ethical and sustainable eggs, keeping it the top egg producer⁶.

Cal-Maine faced challenges with avian flu, losing about 1.6 million hens and 337,000 pullets in Texas⁶. Yet, it remains strong, ready to meet the world’s demand for quality eggs⁶.

Cal-Maine leads the egg industry with innovation and quality⁷. It keeps setting the standard as a global leader in egg production and distribution⁷.

Conclusion

The global egg production industry is key to the world’s food market. Leading countries and companies play a big role in meeting the demand for eggs⁹. In 2018, about 6.0 billion laying hens produced 76.7 million tons of eggs. This sector employed 4 million people and was worth $92 billion at the farm level and $145 billion at retail⁹.

The average yearly increase in global egg production from 2009 to 2018 was 2.2%. Over the past decade, the average person ate more eggs, as seen in the EU’s forecast⁹.

China, the United States, India, Japan, and Mexico are the top egg producers, with China making 34% of the world’s eggs in 2018⁹. Companies like Cal-Maine Foods, Proteina Animal (PROAN), and Rose Acre Farms lead the industry. They adapt to changing tastes and grow to stay ahead in the global egg market¹⁰. In the U.S., a few big companies own most of the hens, with the top five controlling 36% of them in 2017¹⁰.

The global egg production industry keeps changing. The EU market expects to see more egg production and consumption by 2030, aiming for 14.3 kg per person⁹. There’s a move towards cage-free egg production, with more hens living in better conditions. But, this change is happening slowly because people are not always willing to pay more for cage-free eggs¹⁰.

Overall, the global egg production industry is crucial for the world’s food supply. It’s driven by leading countries and companies that keep innovating to meet the demand for eggs.

Source Links

1. https://www.wattagnet.com/egg/egg-production/article/15534947/the-worlds-top-10-egg-producers
2. https://essfeed.com/top-5-egg-producing-countries-companies/
3. https://www.wattagnet.com/egg/egg-production/article/15497196/majority-of-eggs-worldwide-produced-by-15-countries
4. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/american-egg-producers-conspired-to-fix-prices-federal-jury-rules_n_655e60afe4b0827ae6135553
5. https://www.wattagnet.com/egg/egg-processing/article/15526982/is-chinas-egg-industry-leading-by-example-wattagnet
6. https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/news/world-policy/article/2024/04/03/cal-maine-largest-fresh-egg-producer
7. https://www.calmainefoods.com/
8. https://www.calmainefoods.com/history
9. https://layinghens.hendrix-genetics.com/en/news/latest-trends-and-developments-in-the-global-egg-industry/
10. https://foodprint.org/reports/the-foodprint-of-eggs/