AN Aberdeenshire egg producer has hatched a plan to almost double its productivity in 2025 with a £2.4 million investment in a new grader.
Farmlay – which supplies to Aldi, Lidl, Morrisons, and Spar – will utilise AI-based computer vision technology at the heart of the new equipment, with the new system being shipped from the Sanovo Technology Group factory in the Netherlands.
The technology will allow the company to process 400 additional cases of eggs an hour. Computer vision grading systems, advanced algorithms, and deep learning techniques will be used to analyse high-resolution images of eggs.
This will enable Farmlay to differentiate between normal eggs and those with cracks, whilst also identifying variations in colour, texture, and shape – with the new data being absorbed to continuously boost proficiency.
The investment comes as demand for free range eggs continue to rise, with it representing almost 75% of all retail egg sales – which is more than double the level seen in 2004 (32%).
Iain Chapman, Farmlay MD, said, “Our current egg grader is giving us 500 cases an hour and this second one will give us 400, so almost double our output,” he says.
“We were at a crossover as to whether – with demand for eggs at such a high – to simply run our existing grader longer hours. However, doing that wouldn’t have been a long-term solution and could have been risky with no back up machine if there was a problem.
“We have been keenly watching the research and development going on and the Sanovo machine we are getting has been proven to be amazingly efficient, using AI to analyse high-resolution images of the eggs.”
The investment is set to boost employment levels, with Farmlay revealing that the second grader will create around ten new jobs due to the increased number of eggs.
“Getting the new grader installed in January will be a great way to start the New Year,” Mr Chapman continued.
“There is a real buzz about eating eggs, with lots of posts on social media platforms such as Instagram with celebrities talking about how they are a healthy way of getting protein into the diet. There are definitely more young people eating eggs now than there have been for a very long time.”
Shortages of eggs seen at supermarkets, during both covid and because of bird flu, prompted many retailers to offer five-year rolling contracts to producers.
“In many ways those empty supermarket shelves were a blessing,” Mr Chapman continued. “No retailer wants to see a repeat of the egg shortages and that -together with the increased consumption figures – has given them the confidence to show more long-term support. This really is a golden age for egg production.
“Numbers enquiring about coming on board as contract producers are at a high, with eggs being seen by many as a new venture or wonderful way of enabling a younger generation to come home to a family farm. Amazing when you think it’s a sector that people might not have even considered just a few years ago.”
