Italians consume more eggs - ITALY - Figures released during the Italian National Union of Poultry Breeders (UNA) annual assembly for chicken and egg production and consumption in 2004, showed a turnover of EUR4.5 billion for poultry with a total production of 1.134 million tonnes, down 1.4 percent year-on-year.

Chicken consumption for 2004 dropped 1.7 percent compared with 1.68 million tonnes in 2003.

Meanwhile, Italian poultry meat exports dropped to 127,000 tonnes in 2004 from 153,000 tonnes in 2002.

Egg consumption was estimated at 222 eggs per capita, equal to 14 kg, in 2004. This is in comparison with 218 eggs per capita, or 13.7 kg, in 2003.

Over 13 billion eggs, or 822,000 tonnes, were produced in 2004, up from 808,000 tonnes in 2003 and 806,000 tonnes in 2002.

Source: eFeedLink - 7th July 2005