By Will Raw, NFU Poultry Board chair
Since my last update the NFU National Poultry Board has seen new members join for the next two-year term. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome those new board members to our ranks but would also like to sincerely thank those who have stepped down from their roles.
At the same time there have been increased reports of Newcastle disease (ND) across Europe. These alarming findings have prompted the NFU to remind all poultry keepers of the critical importance of maintaining high biosecurity standards. Recent confirmed cases in Spain, Poland and Germany have led the UK Government to raise the national risk level for poultry exposure from low to medium. This change reflects expected wild bird movements across Europe between March and May, increasing the likelihood of disease incursion.
Vaccination remains our key defence. ND vaccines are commercially available in the UK and widely used across commercial layers, layer breeders, broiler breeders and most turkey breeding flocks. Government officials are urging poultry keepers to ensure vaccination programmes are up to date where appropriate and to continue rigorous biosecurity practices.
Another issue that has dominated the National Poultry Board discussions has been DEFRA’s consultation on the proposal to ban enriched colony cages and all other caged systems for laying hens, pullets and breeder layers. The NFU has warned that an outright ban would create serious unintended consequences for producers and consumers.
In our response, we emphasised that enriched colony cages can deliver good welfare when properly managed and provide an affordable, nutritious protein source for a growing population. We also criticised the proposals for failing to acknowledge the role these systems play in food security, environmental goals and consumer choice. The NFU argues that policy must support domestic production, ensure import equivalence and avoid offshoring welfare concerns.
A ban on enriched colony cages would increase reliance on imported eggs, including those produced to standards already illegal in the UK, such as conventional battery cages still used in some countries. The NFU also highlights flaws in the government’s impact assessment, noting that conversion and construction costs are significantly higher than estimated. Planning constraints further limit producers’ ability to transition, and many may be forced out of the sector altogether.
Based on member feedback, the NFU has deemed the proposed five-year transition period unworkable, warning that the proposals risk undermining British egg production, reducing consumer choice and damaging national food security. The consultation period has now closed and we wait to hear next steps from the government once they have analysed responses.