By Charles Bourns, broiler grower, Gloucestershire
I have a point to make for everyone who is fighting for the future of British agriculture. It is all very well arguing about inheritance tax, but you have to have something to inherit!
What set this train of thought going in my mind is seeing the Prime Minister in China talking about doing a deal that will be good for the consumer. Haven’t the Chinese taken enough of our market? You can even buy Chinese chicken here, which I should have thought their own population could consume. Mind you, I am told a really romantic meal out in China is to go to KFC for the evening. I must try that here!
But seriously, milk prices have dropped 20p per litre because there is too much milk in the world, but not in this country. We still have European milk coming past us daily to go into the local milk factory so there is no reason for a price drop here and I am told the price of milk in the retailer is up. I say all this as I find it worrying; if they can do it in one market they can do it in another. Chicken from Europe is now on an increasing number of shelves in the retailers with I am told imports from the Ukraine both for eggs and meat up. Why are we the only country not to reintroduce tariffs or quotas on their chicken? There is swine fever in Spain; they are Europe’s largest producer with two million sows but their price has collapsed does this mean ours will follow. I just ask the question.
Anyway, I am sorry to have a rant, but it does worry me, and I just hope the minister and our political bodies will step up to the plate at this time, as there is no reason for the retailers to use the world market prices to defend their policy. Surely the producer is as important as the consumer especially as we are told that 81% of consumers support British farmers and it has been proven that profitable farms invest in their local community and businesses.
At home, my son’s house is progressing well although if it was a boat it would have floated off down the river. It started to rain the first day they started building. The good news it will be finished mid-March so maybe the rain will stop then. The chicken themselves are growing well but we have had a litter issue, so the vet has said we should take the coccidiostat out of the feed and vaccinate the chicken next crop so I think we will try that.
Lastly it is great news that the weight loss jab trend will potentially be really good for egg and poultry sales. One person told me they can now eat 35 eggs a week; I am not sure about that but I did not argue with them!