Current Asian trends in egg production and consumption: a demand analysis of selected countries

Abstract

Although in the western world there has been a long term decline in the consumption of eggs, Asian egg consumption is on an upward trend, even in developed Asian nations like Japan. However, the latter part of the 1990s has seen a slower rate of growth in consumption. This study represents an attempt to analyse the present state of affairs by estimating the income elasticity of demand for eggs in selected countries. The annual increase in the consumption of eggs is high because of the very low consumption in developing countries. Production is also on the increase as a result of improvements in local breeds and the ready availability of high yielding birds even in rural areas. Based on estimates, countries were categorised into three groups – those of high income elasticity (Malaysia, China), medium elasticity (Sri Lanka, Pakistan) and low elasticity (Japan, Korea). Increasing disposable household income will continue to result in an expansion in the production and consumption of eggs in Asia. By the year 2010 over 60% of the world's population will live in Asia; furthermore, the growth in disposable income and purchasing power coupled with rapidly changing food habits will make eggs one of the more popular protein-rich foods with both the rural and urban populations in Asia.

Keywords::

• Consumption
• eggs
• income elasticity
• production