The Council of Agriculture (COA) said that Taiwan produces 320 million chickens and 6.5
billion eggs annually and, therefore, chicken and egg have become an important source of
animal protein for people here at a low price. But at the upstream of chicken and egg
production, chicken farms or hatcheries in Taiwan not only supply baby chicks but also
produce some 692 tons of discarded egg shells and fluff. If not handled properly, the waste
will cause serious pollution. But when they are recycled and utilized, the waste can become
valuable products.

In the past, chicken farms or hatcheries in Taiwan had to pay outsiders to get rid of the
692 tons of egg shells and fluff they produced every year as waste, noted the COA. But a
COA-supported research done by the National Chung Hsing University found out that when adding
an appropriate amount of discarded egg shells and fluff to compost, they can help microbes
in the compost grow during fermentation. When the fermented fertilizer is applied to soil,
phosphorous contained in the discarded egg shell becomes an indispensable element for plants
to grow and blossom. So the method of recycling egg shell and fluff developed under the
auspices of the COA can effectively reduce the cost of waste disposal for chicken farms or
hatcheries and enhance the overall competitiveness of Taiwan chicken farmers.    

The COA added that since compost made of discarded egg shell is alkaline and contains calcium,
it can be used to improve farmland with acid soil that requires special treatment. The COA-
supported research can effectively create the value of recycling discarded egg shell and
fluff, make it another source of income for chicken farm and hatchery operators while reduce
environmental and soil pollution in rural areas. The Council will continue promoting the
application of the research result to further benefit both chicken farmers and rural environment.
(2010-03-17)