Australia: Murray Watt says no more caged egg farming after 2036

The production of caged-egg farming in Australia will be phased out by 2036. The announcement was made after a joint meeting of the nation's agriculture ministers in Perth on Thursday, the first face-to-face meeting of the ministers in more than three years. Federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said following "intense consultation" from industry, the ministers endorsed new animal welfare standards which will eventually see battery cages banned. The implementation of the new welfare standards will be decided by each state government, which includes the timeframe and the circumstances of which these standards are introduced. At the meeting, WA Agriculture and Food Minister Jackie Jarvis believed WA could phase-out caged eggs by 2032. Cages may still be used in egg production, however Mr Watt said they must provide "additional space and environmental enrichment". "We actually obtained modelling which shows that even as a result of these changed standards, the average egg consumer ...