Egg farmers pledge 12,000 to Ontario's food banks

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

by MATT MCINTOSH

Egg Farmers of Ontario is pledging 12,000 dozen eggs per month to the Ontario Association of Food Banks, and is encouraging its 440 egg farmers to help support that commitment.

Harry Pelissero, general manager of Egg Farmers of Ontario, says producers who make cash donations to the donation program will be able to produce extra eggs along with their allocated quota. Those extra eggs are then sold to egg graders, who then sell the eggs to Ontario food banks at cost.

“The grading stations will sell the eggs to the food banks at the producer price, which would be about 1.74 per dozen for medium-sized eggs, for instance,” says Pelissero.

The egg graders “will be absorbing all the packing and grading costs.”

In a March 25 press release, Egg Farmers of Ontario says two major Ontario egg graders –Burnbrae Farms and Gray Ridge Egg Farms – have already signed on.

The donations, which will continue over a one-year period, are guaranteed by Egg Farmers of Ontario; Pelissero says the organization will reduce its contribution as more producers begin donating to the program. Regardless of producer contributions, however, the press release says the 12,000 dozen eggs per month commitment – or a minimum of $250,000 worth of eggs over a year – will be met.

“We made the commitment so the food banks would have a steady, reliable supply,” says Pelissero. “It’s easier to conduct business that way.”

If voluntary donations from producers exceed 12,000 dozen eggs per month, the press release says donations to food banks “will increase accordingly.”

Pelissero says any decision relating to the expansion or reduction of the program in subsequent years will be made closer to the end of the current one-year term. BF