By Gary Ford, chief executive, British Egg Industry Council
It is really welcome news that Defra have confirmed that producers and packers in England and Scotland will no longer need to change how eggs are labelled during an outbreak of avian influenza i.e the 16 week derogation will be removed. In both 2021-22 and 2022-3, the 16-week derogation period was exceeded by six and seven weeks respectively, which led to significant costs for industry as egg packaging had to be changed to comply with legislation.
Confidence is a critically important part of any business, particularly family run farms which are the backbone of UK farming, and it is encouraging to see government acting positively and recognising the importance of the egg sector.
We now look to the Welsh Government and their 16-week consultation to follow suit to ensure that the whole of the UK is on the same, level playing field. This is critically important to Welsh producers and their packers.
Not for everyone but definitely relevant for some producers – maybe looking to upgrade from flat deck to multi-tier – or pullet rearers looking to refurb their sheds – the laying hen and pullet rearing grant has been around since mid-May. Importantly the first stage of the application process is due to close on 18 September. Completing this stage takes about 35 minutes. Laying hen and poultry keepers in England with flocks of 1,000 birds are eligible to apply. They can get funding for two different types of projects: £5,000 to £100,000 towards installing a new veranda on an existing building or £15,000 to £500,000 towards refurbishing or replacing existing laying hen and pullet housing. Producers interested in applying should read the guidance first, which can be found on GOV.UK.
Along with other industry representatives we continue to meet with the RSPCA to explore and find a way forward with their amended laying hen standards. With this in mind we have shared our list of standards that we believe that producers will struggle to comply with either due to cost, the impact on income or the layout of the shed/range area. In addition, we have shared our list of ‘aspirational’ standards which, whilst not part of the scheme, are potential future standards. It is these lists that are currently being worked through at the various meetings. It is true to say – and this has been highlighted by both the BFREPA and NFU member surveys – that more information or clarification is required on various proposed standards before a conclusion can be drawn.
Finally, you may have heard the news that I will be joining the British Free Range Egg Producers Association (BFREPA) in November as PR and Policy Advisor. This is a really good opportunity to work with producers again. I was born and brought up on a Worcestershire mixed farm and farming has always been in my blood and indeed, in the near twenty years that I spent at the NFU, in various roles, I have worked closely with farmers throughout representing their best interests. I am looking forward to combining all of my experience, working with stakeholders and passion for the industry, to the benefit of BFREPA members.