Noble reduce organic numbers
Noble is asking more organic egg producers to switch to free range because of the continued decline of the organic sector.
Tom Willings, the company’s contract, producers and farms director, confirmed to the Ranger that Noble was seeking to move some suppliers from organic to free range. Although he would not confirm the number involved, we understand that the company wants to see 80,000 organic birds switched over
to free range production.
It comes as the market for organic eggs continues to suffer. Whilst sales of some organic products have held up well in the current difficult financial climate, sales of organic eggs have suffered badly. ’The decline in the organic sector has been well documented over the last two years, with the latest 52 week data showing a 14 per cent downturn in volume year on year,’ said Tom Willings.
’As this decline has continued, the expense to Noble Foods of cascading organically produced eggs into our free range sales has grown to an unsustainable level.’ Many believe that whilst consumers understand and accept the benefit of buying free range eggs, the organic message has become confused. The extra cost of organic is also difficult to promote in such difficult economic times.
Tom said that Noble had recently invested in organic with the launch of the One organic egg brand. Profits from the sale of One eggs are used to fund community egg farming projects in Africa. Communities are provided with hens, equipment and training in hen husbandry, in order to provide protein rich nutrition for families, and a sustainable source of income. Tom said there had been early signs of success, but the brand itself was not expected to reverse the wider market trend.
’We will, therefore, look to proactively and responsibly reduce our surplus to an acceptable level by way of an assisted conversion from organic production to free range. As we have done in the past, we will be offering a temporary price for producers converting to non-organic production during mid-flock, covering the additional costs of an organic pullet and a reduced stocking density. We will be working with our producers to complete this process over the course of the next few weeks.’
This is not the first time that the company has taken such steps. Noble has previously taken some of its own organic units out of production and moved contracted organic producers over to free range. Tom told the Ranger that rather than abandoning its organic producers it was helping them to switch to free range.
