February 13, 2013

Britain's feed costs, welfare issues pressure poultry producers

The combined impact of the high cost of feed and higher welfare standards in the UK are squeezing Britain's poultry producers and processors.

They have called for more action from the UK government to address the competitive imbalance with their overseas competitors, or risk losing an important sector of domestic food chain.

It continues to be a struggle, "said Jeremy Hall, technical director of Bernard Matthews, speaking at the Food Manufacture Business leaders' Forum in London last month. The biggest issue we have got is in relation to the inflationary effect of food costs.

Hall added, "Soy is a considerable problem in relation to genetically modified (GM) feed and I think the government has got to start leading and outlining to consumers that GM is not a threat or danger. It is a necessity if we are going to feed nine billion people (the predicted growth in the global population by 2050)."

Meurig Raymond, deputy president of the National Farmers Union, welcomed the support given to GM production by environment secretary Owen Paterson at last month's Oxford Farming conference.

Raymond said, "It is becoming impossible for the livestock industry, the white meat industry pigs and broiler production to actually source non-GM protein on the global market. And if you can source it, it is costing at least GBP100 (US$157) a tonne premium over GM."