By Charles Bourns, broiler grower, Gloucestershire
This month has been a very busy one with a trip to Northern Ireland and a look round Linergy’s rendering plant. I did have a look around it 12 years ago but had absolutely no idea of the enormous amount of investment they had done to keep their product up to standard for a very volatile marketplace. I do appreciate they are only an example and all rendering plants have had to do the same investment, but the one thing that surprised me was that the oil they produced went into biofuel.
I then took the Local Farmer’s Discussion Club around a hatchery. They were completely amazed by what they saw. They really had no idea of how complicated the process of producing a day old chick is and the investment needed. We did visit on the way back a garden centre, which if anyone is in the area of Burford I suggest a visit, if only to see what some are willing to pay for plants and garden furniture.
I lastly attended the South West Chicken Association Conference at its new venue, the Exeter Chiefs Rugby Ground. It was very well attended and had 400 delegates booked in. The speakers were all very good and as usual I learnt something as well as catching up with many friends.
One speaker was Professor David Hughes who told us that chicken is the food of the future and present but we must not take our position for granted as fish is the fastest growing protein but from a low base. Out of every 10kg of meat eaten 4 kg is chicken in 2012 pork held this position. Chicken is growing everywhere in the world but less in the UK. The UK is becoming less self-sufficient in chicken and we now import £1.5 billion worth of poultry from Poland where there is good growth. Why? It is not because it cannot grow, it is just because the NGOs, planning, politicians and the marketplace are holding us back.
We must be allowed to make a good return because every time the industry does, it reinvests, and we need to now reinvest in more efficient houses or else we will end up with more imports. Minette Batters also spoke and she has been asked to put forward a plan for the future of British agriculture so if you have ideas they get in touch with her.
My message from this month’s visits is that there is a fantastic industry out there at all levels we just need the oxygen to breathe and go forward.
At the farm level I have ordered some of that green gel that is put on the starter crumbs for the chicks. It should be interesting to see if it makes any difference.