Action on bill could affect the state’s egg supplyDate: 12/15/2021 WESTERN MASS. – It’s safe to say that eggs are a popular part of many diets. If the Legislature does not finish work on a bill, though, amending a law concerning how farm animals are treated come the first of the year there may be an egg shortage in Massachusetts.
According to the general manager of the New England Brown Egg Council, an egg shortage in the commonwealth would have considerable impact on both farmers and consumers.
Bill Bell of the council explained to Reminder Publishing that consumers will undoubtedly go across state lines to buy eggs and will probably do the rest of their grocery shopping in out-of-state stores, funneling dollars out of Massachusetts.
The bill came out of a statewide referendum in 2016.
As the State House News Service reported recently, “In June, the Senate approved a bill altering the ballot law to allow one square foot of space per bird in aviaries that allow sufficient vertical movement. The legislation (S 2481) drew no opposition and sailed through on an unrecorded voice vote.
“The House voted 156-1 in October on its version of the bill (H 4194), which targets similar cage-free standard changes but also moves enforcement from the attorney general to the Department of Agricultural Resources and delays by one year the Jan. 1, 2022, start date for a ban on the sale of pork derived from cruelly enclosed pigs.
“Each branch dug in behind its bill, and legislative leaders named a six-member conference committee on Oct. 13 to hash out the differences.”
Bell explained the issue with pork production is the use of “gestation crates.”
Bell said the current legislation requires one and a half square feet for every hen. He explained, “That is 50 percent at odds with a national study.”
He added egg farmers and humane advocates have agreed on a 1-square-foot space.
“It isn’t like is a complex issue, either, Bell said of the chicken issue.
If the ballot law is not amended, come Jan. 1, 2022, Bell said eggs that are not produced by hens in the one and a half square foot space will be deemed illegal and cannot be sold here.
“It will be total chaos,” he predicted.
Bell said, “Simply, from a technical and humane standpoint, it [the law] is at odds with everyone else in the industry.”
At this point, Bell said there are two Massachusetts-based egg producers that will be in compliance with the original law. He added that Diemand Farms in Wendell has already eliminated cages and downsized their flock to be in compliance with the original law.
The eggs from seven million hens are needed to supply the demand of Massachusetts residents, Bell said.
Animal Rescue League of Boston Advocacy Director Allison Blanck told State House News Service, “The coalition of animal protection organizations supporting the upgrade to hen welfare law, passed as Question 3, continue to advocate for the vital increased protections for egg-laying hens in these bills that provide them more humane housing, ensure they cannot be confined in a cruel manner, and expand these protections to even more hens. We remain hopeful that the conference committee is able to report an agreement as soon as possible so that the legislation can be signed into law.”
As of press time the conference committee has not yet completed its work on the amended bill.
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