The timing of the Federal Court decision against Pirovic Enterprises couldn't have been better. It provides a clear 'free range' definition for the industry to adopt and it will strengthen the resolve of State Ministers for Fair Trading when they next meet in April to approve a production code.
The Australian Egg Corportion's annual meting is in Canberra on November 19 and 20 and staff from the NSW Department of Fair Trading have been invited to a consulatative forum
The NSW Department of Fair Trading was tasked by the Ministerial Council of Fair Trading/Consumer Affairs to draft a national information standard on free range eggs and minimum labelling requirements for egg labelling.
The egg industry is also meeting in October to consider ideas for changes to the Model Code of Practice for the welfare of Poultry. The big boys will have to modify their ideas in the light of the Federal Court decision. A specific legal decision is something we have been fighting for. Without it consumers would continue to be conned - and it's not just the ultra-large corporations. None of the so-called free range accreditation standards is worth the paper it is written on. Consumers need to be aware that they will never find free range eggs in a major supermarket. There are plenty labelled as free range but they are sourced from intensive farms and at best should be called cage-free.
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I am confused this page seems to be saying 1500 hens per hectare but another only has 750.
On our farm we run 300 hens per hectare or less, Some farms run greater numbers and the Model Code sets a maximum outdoor stocking density of 1500 hens per hectare. We believe that as an absolute maximum 1500 per hectare is an acceptable figure for the 'free range' designation, even though there are some areas of Australia where that would be grossly overstocked.
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