National Farmers Union
“The poultry meat industry likes recessions,” according to Gary Ford, chief poultry advisor at the National Farmers’ Union (NFU).
Speaking at last week’s AHDB Outlook conference, he told delegates that the price of poultry meat stands it in good stead in times of consumer hardship, although the industry has not been achieving growth purely on price.
Per capita consumption has been on the up since the 1990s, with prospects for the increasing global consumption of meat, between now and 2024, providing a positive outlook for the industry.
While he described campylobacter as a big threat to the industry – “we are on thin ice” – he said the influence of the Food Standards Agency’s name and shame campaign has only had a short-lived effect on sales. “Typically large integrators have noted a drop-off of 5%, but within four to five days of the announcement, that has returned to normal,” he explained.
There has been some evidence to suggest that newer sheds result in fewer cases of campylobacter, he explained. However, the UK has an old estate of sheds, with the average poultry shed age at 24 years, and 60% estimated to be more than 20 years-old.
Recent outbreaks of avian influenza have also been causing problems, with a number of countries, including South Africa, which takes 11% of UK poultry exports, imposing a ban on imports of UK poultry meat in the wake of the established bird flu cases in East Yorkshire and, more recently, Hampshire.
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) is encouraging producers to take to social media to bring retailers who are promoting out-of-season foreign lamb into light.
NFU livestock board chairman said British lamb should be given “pride of place” on supermarket shelves and is urging people to Tweet pictures of supermarkets failing to do so to @NFUtweets using the hashtag #BackBritishFarming.
Sercombe said: “I believe I speak for all livestock farmers when I say that I am bitterly disappointed to see that, at a time of year when there is an ample supply of fresh, tender and delicious new-season lamb available, some retailers are failing to live up to their commitments to support British farming.
“This year has seen an excellent growing season for lamb, and you would think that this would be reflected on the shelves. Instead, as the photos we have been receiving from members show, facings are still failing to promote this fantastic meat at the peak time of year. The strength of feeling farmers have on this was shown at the Royal Welsh this summer.”
Some retailers, namely Tesco, have already come under fire on Twitter for not supporting British lamb, instead choosing to promote New Zealand products