By Aimee Mahony, chief poultry advisor, NFU
2021 has been a challenging year and the word challenging would probably be an understatement for many businesses in the poultry sector over the last few weeks. Multiple outbreaks of Avian Influenza are keeping us all on our toes and while I hope everyone gets to enjoy their Christmas and New Year, continued vigilance is key to dealing with this disease.
But even amidst these outbreaks, the day job continues and at the NFU we are continuing to work on your behalf to make the changes that are, for many, desperately needed.
In December we held a Food Security Summit to stress the need for solutions to the supply chain crisis to Defra Secretary of State George Eustice. NFU President Minette Batters was joined by the Food and Drink Federation, British Retail Consortium and a line-up of industry stakeholders and producer businesses, who called on the government to help build long term resilience within the supply chain.
From the ongoing labour crisis to rocketing input costs, poultry producers are feeling the pressure acutely and many are concerned about the sustainability of businesses going forward.
We must all work collaboratively to ensure that these issues are being heard by the government and that both short and long term solutions are being offered to them. We have strength in numbers with the whole supply chain behind us.
These are difficult times and it’s more important than ever to look after the people around us. Reaching out to that person you’ve not heard from for a while may make all the difference to their day. And remember, it is also important to look after yourself as well as others.
If you need it, please know that there are people ready and waiting to offer you support. You can find the details you need for these organisations under the ’Your health and wellbeing’ section of our Avian Influenza information page.
Please look out for one another and I’ll finish by sending my very best wishes to you all for Christmas and the New Year.