Reducing campylobacter levels in chicken meat has been a long-term challenge for the NFU Poultry Board. This year saw the retail survey results (in the highest bandings) go well below the government’s target of 10% to 6.5%. This has been an amazing achievement for the industry and reduced food-borne outbreaks by more than 100,000 cases a year.
Helping members caught up in the 13 AI outbreaks this year has been a priority for Gary Ford and the poultry team. We have pressed Defra to lobby the EU to change the Free Range (FR) Egg Marketing Regulations, so producers can carry on marketing their eggs as FR for 16 weeks after a compulsory housing order.
We have built up strong relationships through regular meetings with all of the major retailers and service companies, passing on members’ concerns, which will carry on in 2018.
It’s been really satisfying for NFU poultry adviser Aimee Mahony to run the third Poultry Industry Prorgramme group sponsored by ABN. The excellent young talent out there on farms and in the allied industries is essential for poultry’s future.
NFU Poultry magazine has not only been winning awards but it has been revamped into a sector-leading read. The feedback from members has really motivated editor Jo Travis and the editorial team to keep growing the magazine.
2018 will see AI challenges once again and the NFU will continue to push members to safeguard their farms by high biosecurity and APHA to deal with AI outbreaks efficiently.
We will continue to work with the police on farm break-ins and support members who have been badly affected.
The financial damage of oversupply in the egg sector is of great concern and we continue to encourage sensible expansion.
We all need to work with government to tackle the ongoing threat of AI, Brexit does not penalise our industry by unfair trade deals or unable to staff our farms and processing-packing facilities because of a lack of suitable labour.