(Massena) The Coronavirus pandemic is forcing many independent Ag producers to cut production due to lower prices, and limited access to packing plants. The egg-laying business is no exception.
Southwest Iowa Egg is a 960,000 egg-laying business near Massena that produces 20-million dozen eggs per year and employs 25 people. Rich Hall, General Manager of this independent egg-laying operation, says COVID-19 has a significant impact on their business because their eggs go into the liquid egg market that dried up when COVID-19 closed down a lot businesses and institutions where they market their eggs.
Hall says historically they’ve been able to move their eggs into the shell egg market, but they didn’t have the opportunity to do that this time around. For example, the lack of labor at some plants to wash and clean extra eggs, shortage of cartons, and contracts within the industry that were unavailable to Southwest Iowa Egg.
And it’s not just COVID-19 causing problems for the independent egg producers. Hall says they’re currently dealing with a broken system.
Hall says selling fresh farm eggs is one way they’ve made up for the loss of demand.
Hall mentioned the public has been very supportive during the pandemic. On several occasions, a former Atlantic resident and other donors purchased eggs from Southwest Iowa Egg and gave them away to the public. Hall says it’s been a win-win for everybody.
Southwest Iowa Egg purchases all their feed from the elevator in Massena, and there are several people dependent on this business staying viable.
