2026/27 NFU Poultry Industry Programme – meet this year's participants
The next cohort of the NFU Poultry Industry Programme has been announced. Meet the 2026/27 participants who have joined this unique development opportunity, designed to build leadership skills, expand professional networks and provide a behind-the-scenes insight into the poultry supply chain.
Run in conjunction with feed company ForFarmers, the NFU’s PIP (Poultry Industry Programme) comprises a bespoke programme of one- and two-day visits and events designed to upskill the next generation of poultry industry leaders.
What the programme offers
The PIP aims to equip young people in the poultry industry with new skills and knowledge which they can use to help benefit their own businesses and better advocate for the sector.
Applications for the 2026/27 Poultry Industry Programme have now closed.
If you're interested in applying for a future programme, you can register your interest by contacting [email protected]
Running since 2012, and now into its seventh edition, the PIP has already offered more than 80 young people the chance to further their development within the sector.
“I would urge anyone to apply for the PIP – I’ve never looked back! As a first-time poultry farmer, taking my family farm in a new direction, it opened my eyes to the wider industry and gave me some amazing networking opportunities to learn from others in the sector and to make contacts with like-minded people.”
PIP Chair and NFU Poultry Board member (North) Ryan Dakin
Many PIP alumni have gone on to become influential leaders across the poultry industry; several now sit on the NFU national Poultry Board, including Board Chair Will Raw.
Key benefits include:
- Meeting other young people in the sector and sharing experiences and best practice.
- Gaining market insight into the different aspects of British poultry meat and egg production.
- Seeing behind the scenes at the NFU and how it works with members to lobby effectively on behalf of industry.
- Developing new professional skills applicable to your career.
What's on the programme?
| Programme event | Dates |
|
Opening event – NFU HQ
|
4-5 November 2026 |
|
Westminster/KFC – London
|
December 2026 |
| Leadership training – NFU HQ | January 2027 |
|
Retailer visit and Farmers for Schools – Manchester
|
March 2027 |
| Negotiations training – NFU HQ | April 2027 |
|
European visit – Brussels
|
June 2027 |
| Broiler supply chain tour – Oxfordshire | July 2027 |
|
ForFarmers/egg supply chain tour – Yorkshire
|
August 2027 |
|
Seasonal poultry supply chain tour – East Anglia
|
September 2027 |
Alumni event tbc
| NFU Conference 2028 – ICC, Birmingham | February 2028 |
Event details may be subject to change.
Who is the programme aimed at?
The programme is aimed at 20- to 40-year-olds who are active in the poultry sector in England or Wales. Applicants must be a member of (or employed by a member of) the NFU or NFU Cymru.
We believe the more diversity within agriculture, the more innovative and sustainable the future of farming will be. In line with our value of inclusivity, the NFU Poultry Industry Programme has always welcomed applicants from different cultures, backgrounds and perspectives.
Read experiences from the previous intakes
Meet the 2026/27 PIP participants
David Tunks
David Tunks works for the Applied Group and manages 9 farms across Lincolnshire.
He hopes the PIP can equip him to speak up to a greater extent on the industry’s behalf.
Ed Lanning
Ed is a Farm Manager with Devonshire Poultry Limited, broiler growers based in the Southwest of England.
He wants to further himself, his knowledge and his contact base through the PIP.
Fred Liddell
Fred is an Account Manager at ForFarmers with over 10 years of experience across various roles within the sector.
He is looking forward to developing his knowledge through the PIP and particularly excited to learn more about hatcheries and genetics.
Graham Hill
Graham is a Poultry Manager at Whittern Farms on the Herefordshire Welsh borders.
Formerly a gamekeeper, Graham moved into broilers six years ago and is now looking to broaden his awareness of the sector beyond the farmgate and his horizons through the PIP.
Hollie Brownbridge
Hollie is a Producer Support Specialist at Chippendale Foods in Yorkshire.
She hopes to learn how to better lead and develop others through the PIP in order that she can better support the industry.
Jack Wreathall
Jack is a seasonal turkey producer from the Southeast.
He’s keen to learn new ways of working through the visits and networking opportunities offered by the PIP as well as how he can continue to build the profile of his business in the media and online.
Jolene Duggan
Jolene’s family farm runs a poultry laying unit alongside a beef and sheep enterprise.
She’s excited to learn more about the sector as a whole through the PIP and how she can support and advocate for it to continue to move forward.
Michael Hook
Michael is a Management Trainee at P D Hook Hatcheries in Oxfordshire.
He’s excited to learn more about the poultry sector beyond broilers and meet like-minded industry professionals through the PIP.
Molly Piggott
Molly is a Regional Performance Production Manager with Noble Foods working with 35 farms across Wales and the West Midlands.
She is excited to learn more about the wider poultry industry and how to advocate better for it through the PIP.
Sam Douthwaite
Sam is Head Poultryman at Daylesford Organic where he has managed their laying flock for the last 10 years.
He is looking forward to learning more about the sector beyond layers through the PIP and exchanging knowledge with others.
Stuart Laws
Stuart is the Estate Director at Uphouse Farm, a broiler enterprise in Norfolk.
He is looking forward to soaking up as much information as possible through the PIP in order to continue to drive his business forward.
William Bradley
William is a free-range egg producer from Yorkshire.
He wants to learn more about the industry beyond the poultry shed through the PIP.