Future of the UK poultry sector: PAPs and avian influenza key issues
Moves to potentially reintroduced processed animal proteins (PAPs) for use in poultry diets and the issues of vaccination and housing in the ongoing battle against bird flu were prominent areas discussed at this year’s NFU Poultry fringe event.
The event, which involved Gian Luca Bagnara (Copa Cogeca chair of the Poultry and Eggs Working Party), Rebecca Tonks (CEO of St Ewe Free Range Eggs) and James Mottershead (NFU Poultry Board), also discussed artificial intelligence and robotics and planning regulations.
Processed animal proteins
The panel was questioned by broiler farmer and NFU Board vice-chair Will Raw on PAPs: “The EU has already reauthorised processed animal protein for use in poultry diets and the UK has launched a consultation on doing the same. If it is reauthorised in the UK, how do we as a poultry sector ensure consumers are supportive about including PAPs in poultry diets?”
The consultations are gauging views on permitting non-ruminant PAPs in pig and poultry feed, which has been prohibited for more than 2 decades following the BSE epidemic. Specifically, the proposal is for poultry PAPs to be permitted in pig feed and porcine PAPs in poultry feed.
Bagnara advised that clear criteria on the use of PAPs meant that consumers were not speaking out against it in Europe, but that the use of it had been pushed back because processes had to be reorganised. He said this bottleneck was due to the feed industry.
Mottershead said he was in favour of the reintroduction of PAPs into poultry diets, but that the public’s trust and support needed to be maintained. This could be done through demonstrating the welfare benefits to the bird as well as the environmental credentials as a substitute for soya, alongside any economic bonus.
Avara Foods’s David Nielson asked how to reconcile the planning needs of farmers with the need for more poultry housing. Bagnara said the planning process was 50% science, 50% art, while Tonks added that farmers needed to lead the way on how they were selling themselves to the planning industry; how they are dealing with their manure and how they can contribute to food security.
Tonks said a new approach was required to educate planners about poultry farming and Mottershead highlighted this was a key priority for the NFU Poultry Board.
Bird flu vaccination and housing
Those that joined the online session were interested in an avian influenza vaccination for birds. University of Bristol poultry research technician Paula Baker said the scale of the problem meant that culling was an unsustainable approach to disease control.
Traditional free-range turkey producer Mark Gorton pointed out that Covid-19 was not brought under control until the government started vaccination.
Mottershead said he supported a vaccination programme for birds but emphasised that it had to be safe to give consumers the confidence to continue enjoying poultry products and that it shouldn’t disrupt the export market. “I can completely understand why it is so emotive and that some people do not want to see it happen,” he added.
Patrick Hook of PD Hatcheries wanted Defra “to get a move on” and introduce mandatory national housing measures to get ahead of the disease.
Mottershead added that Defra’s present strategy did not appear to be working and supported the need for a new approach. He reassured NFU members that the union was continuing to call for a GB-wide housing measures to help protect the national flock.
Tonks stressed that farmers had spent a lot of money investing in their flocks and are being told by “the powers that be” how to look after their hens.
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