The chairman of the British Free Range Egg Producers Association, Tom Vesey, was recently misreported in the press about his views on egg size. "They reported that his message was that consumers should buy smaller eggs to be kind to hens, as larger eggs can cause health problems."
A crucial point overshadowed by the media hype was that he was championing a change in the price paid to producers to encourage them to produce smaller eggs. This would allow them to use breeds, as used on the Continent, which not only lay smaller eggs, but lay for much longer, about 80-90 weeks instead of the standard 72 weeks.
It reminds me of the old debate in the dairy sector on longevity (fertility) versus milk yields.
Is this the right way forward for the British free range egg sector to try and persuade consumers to buy smaller eggs? Perhaps promoting longer-lived hens would make a good selling point.