November 7, 2007

UK poultry industry outraged on reducing IPPC thresholds

UK's poultry industry has been alarmed with the European Commission plans to reduce the Integrated Pollution Prevention Control (IPPC) of 40,000 bird threshold.

The IPPC, a new environmental legislation, is aimed at controlling or eliminating adverse environmental effects of poultry industry to the air, water and land. Initially, it applied only to those with more than 40,000 bird places.

If these proposals become law in UK, the threshold will be 40,000 for broilers; 30,000 for laying hens; 24,000 for ducks; and 11,500 for turkeys.

Industry representatives expressed anger over Brussels' move to revise the IPPC thresholds, especially at  a time when the IPPC has just been introduced. IPPC could force some farmers to change their business just to get below the 40,000 threshold, representatives said.

However, formal proposals from Brussels are yet to be confirmed and is expected in 2008.