Unlike the selling of poultry meat or live chickens, marketing your chicken eggs in the Philippines shouldn’t be hard. Eggs don’t go bad so soon and there is a massive demand for chicken eggs in the Philippines.
Poultry farmers sell eggs for a number of reasons. Some want to raise additional incomes, subsidize the cost of feeding and maintenance or simply earn money that they can put into savings. Selling a few eggs may not be difficult but if you are a medium to large scale poultry producer in the Philippines, you will want to sell your eggs as quickly as possible so as to generate income. Every business needs some cash flow and eggs are generally one of the more enduring sources of cash flow for poultry farmers. So what does it take to successfully market your poultry eggs in the Philippines?
Do a simple market research
When you are looking for market for your poultry eggs in the Philippines, it is always advisable to begin with your backyard. Survey the local market and list the leading buyers of eggs in the nearest town or city. It could be a hotel, restaurant, school, bakery, sari-sari stores, cafeteria, church or grocery shops. Create a simple brochure or leaflet with information on your eggs and distribute. Ensure you have left a working number behind. If you can approach all the leading local retailers with offers to supply them with clean and affordable eggs, you will likely pick some orders.
Know the laws
In the Philippines, the laws are fairly liberal when it comes to selling eggs from your farm. If you are running a small farm, you will not need any certifications or licenses to begin selling and supplying your eggs in the market. If you will be supplying the large retailers, it is important to include the sell by date as well as your contact information. Ensure that the eggs are refrigerated although this may not be necessary if you are selling the fresh eggs immediately.
Where to sell your eggs
There are a host of establishments across Philippines where you can sell your eggs. Apart from the individual buyers, you can also sell to schools, bakeries, supermarkets, sari-sari stores, local restaurants, grocers’ shops and many others. Use marketing techniques such as brochures and leaflets to spread the message about your eggs. You can also use online platforms such as Facebook to increase awareness about your eggs.
Grading the eggs
This is not always a requirement if you are selling privately or to small buyers but if you are going to supply large retailers and distributors, it is advisable to sort out the eggs according to size. However, don’t label them as either “small, medium or large” sized when packaging them. Instead, simply label “Unsized” or “Ungraded”. Good grading will generally help consumers in making purchase decisions accordingly.
Organic and Free Range Eggs in the Philippines
If you are involved in organic or free range poultry production Philippines, then it is important to obtain the necessary certifications. Organic poultry certification is generally more stringent and will require that you adhere to certain production procedures. Free range chicken farming requirements are generally less strict or virtually non existent. However, it is not a good idea to lie to your consumer. If your poultry products are not organic, for example, then simply say so. You can also use alternative classifications depending on the your production environment or system such as “Homegrown” eggs, “pastured chicken” eggs, “naturally raised” or simply native chicken eggs.
Wash the eggs
All eggs are laid with a protective coating that ensures 100% protection. However, it is not always good to sell eggs with dirt or chicken droppings on the egg shells. Wash the eggs gently and store them in a cool place. The decision on whether to wash or not generally depends on the requirements of the retailer or middlemen.
Refrigeration of Eggs
It is recommended that you store the eggs in a cool and dry place with temperatures of about 33 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit. If you do not have a refrigerator, you can simply store them in a cool and dry place in the house.
Labelling
For private sale, labelling the cartons is not necessary. However, if you are going to supply the large buyers such as supermarkets, then you will need to perform a thorough labelling of the cartons. Labelling typically includes the name of the seller, address, phone number as well as the sell by date. The sell by date for the eggs is typically within 30 days after they have been laid. For an even more personalised touch, you can even go further and add an image of your farm, and the name of the chicken breeds laying the eggs. This information should be prominently displayed on the carton.
Pricing the eggs
Just charge the market price and offer generous discounts on large purchases.
Selling eggs can be a rewarding way to generate income from your poultry farm. Follow these simple steps and you should be able to get good market for your produce at all times.