September 17, 2009

Aging chicken houses in the UK could threaten the poultry industry's future unless farmers receive better margins to invest in new buildings, according to National Farmers Union (NFU).

The union warned that chicken farmers need to make significant investment to ensure a sustainable long-term supply of British chickens.

In the union's Poultry Housing Age Survey of 1,572 chicken houses or 35 percent of the industry's total, only eight percent had been built in the past 10 years while 60 percent were more than 20 years old.

The survey said factors that were holding back investments include poor returns, complex planning rules, environmental regulations and the loss of tax allowances.

If nothing was done about this situation, the UK would become more reliant on imports and the industry would suffer a gradual decline, said Rob Newbery, NFU chief poultry advisor.

Although birds could be grown successfully in old houses, investment was needed so that farmers could meet environmental requirements such as energy use and insulation standards, said British Poultry Council chief executive Peter Bradnock.