By Aimee Mahony, chief poultry advisor
Uniting the sector has been a key theme of most work streams in recent years and there’s no time like the present to show your support.
The poultry sector is receiving increased scrutiny from various external sources and for many they feel that they are under attack. It’s vital that everybody pulls together, uniting to show solidarity and support for each other. This sentiment is at the heart of what the NFU stands for, representing the best interests of poultry producers to ensure that they have the tools to run resilient businesses in a fair and functioning supply chain.
The proactive sharing of the sector’s story is really important, and we must all work collaboratively to ensure accuracy in the information available to members of the public.
There have been numerous announcements in recent days from the Prime Minister detailing support for the poultry sector. One such announcement details the next steps for Defra’s supply chain review for the egg sector which will see legislation put in place to ensure the fair sharing of risk and reward throughout the supply chain. In the coming months there will be multiple opportunities to help shape what this legislation looks like and I urge all producers to contribute to discussions on this so that we can ensure the outcomes are reflective of what egg producers need from a fair and resilient supply chain.
As I write this column, I’m on the train heading to London to meet the Farming Minister Mark Spencer MP. Alongside the NFU President and the National Poultry Board Chair and Vice Chair, I will be articulating the challenges that poultry meat growers continue to face. This meeting is a follow up to the supply chain round table which took place at the end of March and marks an important step in ensuring that any outcomes of the promised broiler supply chain review are meaningful.
As a General Election looms it’s vital to engage with local MP candidates and the NFU can help support members arrange engagement opportunities such as letters or meetings. Elected MPs are there to represent their constituents’ interests so we must treat them as major stakeholders and embrace this opportunity to set the record straight.