NFU writes to Sunday Times on UK chicken production

28 March 2022

Read our letter to The Sunday Times about a column which criticised the production of chicken.

NFU poultry board chair James Mottershead has written to the Sunday Times in response to an article by columnist India Knight which criticised 'cheap' chicken production.

Read the letter here.

Editor,

India Knight makes several sweeping, unfounded statements about the production of UK chicken in her article 'Every extra £1 spent is less agony for a chicken', which could not be further from the truth.

As a representative of British poultry farmers and a proud poultry producer myself, I know that the health and welfare of our birds is of utmost importance.

The UK has some of the highest standards in the world, across all production systems. Over 95% of chicken produced in the UK is Red Tractor assured, which means birds can roam in naturally lit barns and have access to enrichments such as scratching areas and bales to perch on to display natural behaviours.

Chicken is an incredibly versatile, nutritious and affordable meat, making it a firm favourite on dinner tables across the country.

Your readers should be assured that when they buy British, they are buying a high-quality product from farmers who care.

James Mottershead
NFU poultry board chair

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