UK – Scottish egg producer Farmlay is set to enhance its operations with a US$2.9 million investment in advanced egg grading equipment, aimed at nearly doubling production by 2025.
The new system, developed by Sanovo Technology, features AI-driven computer vision technology and is expected to be operational by January at Farmlay’s Cockmuir Farm near Strichen, Aberdeenshire.
The company’s current grader, which processes approximately 500 cases of eggs per hour, will soon be supplemented by the new machine, estimated to handle around 400 cases per hour.
“This almost doubles our output,” noted Iain Chapman, Farmlay’s managing director.
He added that the decision to invest in additional equipment was prompted by high demand for eggs, making it impractical to rely solely on the current grader for extended hours.
Operating just one machine carried the risk of downtime with no immediate backup in case of technical issues.
Chapman said the company has closely followed advancements in egg grading technology and found that the Sanovo grader, with AI capabilities, has shown exceptional efficiency.
The system uses high-resolution imaging to analyze eggs as they pass through the grader, streamlining quality control and sorting.
Farmlay, founded in 1946, remains family-owned and continues to operate from its expanded 2,500-acre farm.
The company supplies eggs to major retailers including Aldi, Lidl, Morrisons, and Spar and has expanded its output through contract producers.
The US$2.9 million investment also covers necessary building modifications to accommodate the new grader, which is anticipated to create around ten new jobs once fully operational to meet the higher production levels.
This expansion comes amid a noticeable increase in UK egg consumption.
In 2023, the average Briton consumed 175 eggs annually, up from 169 in 2004, with retail demand driving much of this growth.
Weekly egg consumption per person rose from 1.6 to 2.1 over the same period.
According to data, the second quarter of 2024 saw 249 million dozen eggs produced for human consumption—a 6.4% rise from Q2 2023—while the farm-gate price per dozen averaged US$1.74, marking an 8.6% year-over-year increase.
February 2024 also saw a drop in shell egg imports by 17% compared to the previous year, though imports of egg-based products increased by 38%, reflecting shifting demand patterns across the UK.
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