Demand for eggs and poultry meat is strong and growing according to speakers at the British Pig and Poultry Fair, taking place on 13-14 May.
Egg consumption has risen by 20% since 2019, but still remains behind many other countries on a per-capita basis, said Barney Kay, agricultural director at Noble Foods. Organic and golden yolk brands are doing well, as are processed products like boiled eggs, frittatas, omelettes and liquid eggs.
However, proposals to phase out colony systems and restrictive planning policies mean producers will not be able to keep up with demand. “We’re seeing a huge influx of Ukrainian eggs,” said Nick Allen, chief executive at the British Egg Industry Council. “If you’re going to ban systems of production in this country, you have to ban imports produced to those same standards.”
One of the problems at government level is a lack of agricultural knowledge, and an attempt to eliminate risk rather than control it, said Nick. “The regulatory environment is in flux all the time – there’s no stability.” Employment, tax, health and environmental departments don’t talk to each other, so one policy ends up undermining another. “We need a joined-up approach.”
Avian influenza is another significant threat – and Noble Foods has been working with Livetec Systems to help its farmers adopt more effective protection, said Barney. “It’s about ensuring we’re focusing on the right areas.” It’s also important that staff buy in to best practice biosecurity, warned Nick. “Everyone knows what to do, but it’s a people point. A cultural shift needs to happen.”
There is hope that the vaccine trial in turkeys will prove successful, enabling a roll-out across the poultry sector, said Mark Gorton, managing director at Traditional Norfolk Poultry. “But it’s worldwide problem not a UK problem, and it won’t be an overnight success.”
It’s also important that trade barriers are removed, to enable more widespread use of the vaccine, warned David Neilson, agriculture director at Avara Foods. “I wouldn’t be prepared to grow my Christmas turkey business without the vaccine – it’s not worth the risk.”
Many producers are keen to invest – but they need the confidence and cash flow do so, said Sam Drummond, director of poultry at Worcestershire-based EC Drummond. “It’s very hard to expand – planning permission is our biggest challenge.”
Another area of both challenge and opportunity is the food service and public procurement sector, said Gorton “We’ve got products like wings and drumsticks that we struggle to sell – the procedures and protocols are so restrictive.” But rather than serving Chinese chicken breasts in schools, they should instead be signposted to high-quality, local value cuts.
Tessa Seymour, commercial director at ABN, said: “The Pig and Poultry Fair is the perfect opportunity to meet and discuss these issues, and there was a real buzz. Bringing the supply chain together is so important, to help foster understanding and encourage collaborative approaches to overcome hurdles and make the most of the opportunities available.