Spent hen price plummets

Free range chickens

Omead Serati, Noble Foods Procurement Manager, commented that “the main concern is the unofficial export ban of legs into Africa, via Benin. These butchered legs are now going into expensive cold stores.

“We have also been hit by quite a few smaller reductions in the value received, including reductions in feet, wing prices and falling offal revenue.”

Industry intelligence tells us that Benin has stopped importing products after the outbreak of Avian influenza in November. The ban is expected to continue until the UK regains an AI-free status.