Australian consumers signal shift in egg preferences toward in-ovo sexing
A new survey from Innovate Animal Ag shows a strong consumer desire for in-ovo sexing technology in Australia, and that egg producers that adopt the technology will find a consumer base ready to pay more for eggs made without male culling.
The survey of 1,000 Australian egg purchasers was commissioned by Innovate Animal Ag and fielded in August by Ipsos.
Key findings from the survey include:
- 84% of respondents expressed interest in purchasing in-ovo sexed eggs for their households.
- 48% of consumers said they would likely leave their regular egg brand for a brand that uses in-ovo sexing, with one-fifth of consumers (19%) reporting they would be “very likely” to switch. Some 33% of consumers would even consider switching grocery stores in order to buy eggs produced with in-ovo sexing.
- 66% of respondents were willing to pay a premium for eggs made without chick culling.
- On average, egg buyers were willing to pay A$0.93 more per dozen eggs.
Robert Yaman, founder and CEO of Innovate Animal Ag: “In-ovo sexing is now common practice in Europe and just entered the US and Brazilian markets. The results of our newest survey suggest that Australia could be next. Australian consumers are willing to pay a significant premium for in-ovo sexing, presenting a compelling commercial opportunity for Australian egg producers. We look forward to working with companies to capitalise on this business opportunity.”
Adoption of in-ovo sexing technology has grown rapidly since its commercial introduction in 2019. Adoption has been fastest in the European Union, where 28% of all laying hens are now hatched using in-ovo sexing. Riding a wave of momentum from Europe, the technology is now expanding around the world. In June of this year, American supermarkets began selling their first eggs produced using in-ovo sexing, and just one month later, Brazil announced it was installing its first machine.
Join 31,000+ subscribers
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated about all the need-to-know content in the poultry sector, three times a week.
