September 17, 2012
The RSPCA campaign is making incorrect claims about the actual rearing standards for British ducks and is seriously misleading the public in its attempt to promote its own Freedom Foods brand.
This is disappointing from a usually respected body like the RSPCA with whom British duck producers have been working closely.
London, September 14, 2012
On September 12, the French government called for a pause in the global development of biofuels to help ease rapidly rising food prices.
Peter Bradnock, Chief Executive of the British Poultry Council (BPC), said:
“The French government’s call for a pause in biofuel development is a welcome response to rapidly increasing feed costs. The wasteful use of food crops for biofuels instead of farming has a direct impact on food prices and already hard-pressed consumers. The BPC and its international partners has been calling on politicians worldwide to step in.
“It isn’t fair to ask low-income families without cars to pay more for food while subsidising biofuels. Politicians in the UK and EU must also fight against the disastrous CAP reform proposals to take good agricultural land out of crop production when what the world needs is more not less food capacity.”
Notes
1) Reuters – “France seeks biofuel pause in global food strategy” – 12 September 2012 – http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/09/12/france-agriculture-idUKL5E8KCBTC20120912
2) Feed is the largest single cost item for poultry production, accounting for more than 50% of the cost of producing an oven-ready chicken.
3) Since the beginning of July, wheat prices have soared by over 50% and soya prices jumped over 30%. Corn leapt by 60% in the last three months, driving up not just the cost of poultry meat but also other livestock products and grain based staple foods across the world.
4) The BPC is a member of the International Poultry Council (IPC) which has made clear that government policies that subsidize or encourage the production of renewable fuels from grains and cereals should be revised in order to avoid the risk of food shortages
September 13, 2012
The Duck Assurance Scheme (DAS) launched by the British Poultry Council in 2010 is to become a partner of Red Tractor Assurance.
Duck Assurance Scheme standards are founded on scientific knowledge and practical experience, and recognise production standards for food safety, animal welfare, environmental protection and continuous professional development for all personnel involved in the business1.
The standards include requirements in line with government recommendations for sufficient sitting and moving space as well as easy access to feed, drinking water and bathing water.
The Duck Assurance Scheme permits a range of bathing resources that allow a range of bathing activities that meet the needs of the birds. Fresh clean drinking water is also provided. Extensive research work carried out at Oxford University2 showed that the provision of open water is important to duck health and welfare and could be supplied in various ways.
Peter Bradnock, Chief Executive of the British Poultry Council said: “Great research advances have been made by the duck industry for the development of new facilities to ensure ducks are given the best possible growing conditions that fulfil all their health and welfare needs.
“This is an exciting time for the duck industry with more people choosing to eat duck. Consumers can be assured the ducks they choose have been reared to strict animal health and welfare standards, in line with Red Tractor Assurance standards.”
—ENDS—
Media contact Caroline Leroux, 07540 501 173, cleroux@britishpoultry.org.uk
The BPC Duck Assurance Scheme is available for download here.
A new campaign launched today unites industry and consumers to fight Government plans to tax the Great British Roast.
On 1 October, current Government proposals to add VAT to the sale of whole rotisserie chickens will come into force. The British Poultry Council (BPC) and retailer Morrisons believe this is an unfair tax that will hit budget conscious shoppers who use rotisserie chickens in their family meals. With rotisserie chickens sold in shops across the UK forming the basis of traditional Sunday dinners, the organisations have joined forces to help people tell Government “Don’t Tax Our Roast”.
From today, people can sign a nationwide petition against the tax by text, online[1], or by using a freepost reply card obtained at rotisserie chicken counters at Morrisons stores. Signage and customer information at Morrisons rotisserie chicken counters will also be used to raise awareness of the impact of the new tax, commonly associated with pasties, on rotisserie chickens.
The tax will be introduced through proposals unveiled in the March budget to add VAT to all food that is sold hot, classifying it as a take-away food. But research shows that people do not purchase a whole rotisserie chicken to eat in the same way as they would a take-away meal. More than four in every five Morrisons shoppers instead purchase their rotisserie chicken to eat later and after adding other foods such as potatoes or vegetables to make a main meal, like the traditional Sunday Roast.
To address similar anomalies created by the tax, the proposals were previously revised to allow hot food left on the shelf to cool down to have a 0% VAT rate. Whilst this has addressed issues with some foods, such as pasties and pies, it has not solved the problem for rotisserie chickens which, for food safety reasons, cannot be left to cool down for a prolonged period in the same way.
The British Poultry Council represents poultry suppliers across the UK who are backing this campaign, including Moy Park and Cargill who supply Morrisons.
Jamie Winter, Fresh Food Director at Morrisons said: “It’s unfair to take a ‘catch all’ approach without accepting that there will almost always be important exceptions. The simple fact is that our customers buy their whole rotisserie chicken as part of their weekly shop, not as a takeaway. Our customers tell us that they simply cannot pay more in these difficult times. That’s why we’re helping them to fight this unfair tax on the Great British Roast.”
Peter Bradnock of the British Poultry Council said “This 20% tax hike in the price of Red Tractor chicken from British farms bought freshly-cooked in the supermarkets will hit shoppers and result in lost production for farmers. It is a sad irony that this 20% VAT tax will not apply to imports of already-cooked chicken meat coming from countries like Thailand, and our Government is now making it even harder for British chicken farmers to compete on our own markets.”
Note: To join the petition, visit www.donttaxourroast.co.uk or text CHICKEN FIRSTNAME SURNAME TO 88802 (texts will be charged at your standard network rate)
For further information, please contact:
Caroline Leroux – 07540 501173 – cleroux@britishpoultry.org.uk
Victoria Wallin – 07973 823 119 – victoria.wallin@portland-communications.com
David Wilson – 07751 272521 – david.wilson@portland-communications.com
August 28, 2012
Letter to the Editor of the Financial Times (by Peter Bradnock, BPC Chief Executive)
Sir,
Your article “Farmers battle to bring home the bacon” (August 23) identifies some major challenges facing food producers. British dairy farmers’ fight with milk processors continues to be extensively reported but the impact of the dramatic failures of US corn and soya harvests and rapidly escalating world grain prices on food supplies (and even political stability in some regions) is only just being recognised.
The British Poultry Council (BPC) has pledged its support to an innovative new Life Cycle Assessment method for calculating the environmental impact of turkey production. The project, which will run until 2015, will generate guidelines on environmental best practice which can be adopted across the sector.
The UK turkey industry, which relies heavily on imported protein sources, has invested in measuring the environmental impact of production in order to better understand the sustainability challenges facing turkey production. The collaborative research project is being run by Newcastle and Cranfield Universities together with UK producers, feed companies and the BPC. By providing fresh data on production efficiency, the Life Cycle Assessment will revolutionise future production for BPC members such as Bernard Matthews, which is leading this initiative.
All elements of the turkey sector are represented by the project including indoor reared, free range and organic as well as the breeders and feed companies. The £655,000 project has been part-funded by the government’s Technology Strategy Board, with further support from DEFRA and British Poultry Council members.
Peter Bradnock, Chief Executive of the British Poultry Council, said: “This is an impressive and exciting project, with turkey producers showing real leadership on improving environmental performance and sustainability. The poultry industry has always worked hard on this front and has an impressive record of feeding the nation in a sustainable, responsible and highly efficient way. But we all need to continue evaluating and innovating as resources become increasing scarce.”
The British Poultry Council welcomes the report of the EFRA Select Committee on desinewed meat. The misguided decision by the European Commission to reclassify this product threatened to cost British poultry companies up to £100 million.
John Reed, Chairman of BPC, said: “This situation shows that poultry production is vulnerable to knee-jerk reactions made by the European Commission, and we need a strong UK Government presence to defend British businesses from this sort of ill-timed decision. I hope this report serves to highlight to Government the pressing need to defend British companies and the livelihoods that depend on them.”
He concluded: “It’s good that the EFRA Select Committee has shone a light on this issue. Now we have to ensure that all the other European countries are being treated the same way as the UK, otherwise British companies are going to lose out once again.”
Notes:
On 4 April the Food Standards Agency (FSA) announced that the European Commission had mandated that the UK impose a moratorium on the production of desinewed meat (DSM) from cows and sheep from the end of April. The ruling also said DSM produced from pigs and poultry had to be reclassified as mechanically separated meat (MSM) from 26 May.
The FSA was clear that there was no evidence of any risk to human health from eating meat produced from the low-pressure DSM technique. There is no greater risk from eating this sort of produce than any other piece of meat or meat product. The European Commission also made clear that they do not consider this to be a public health concern.
On 30 April, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee announced an inquiry, taking evidence from the FSA, Food and Farming Minister Jim Paice MP and Public Health Minister Ann Milton MP. Their report is published on 24 July and is available here.
About the BPC: BPC member companies cover over 90% of UK poultry meat production (850 million birds per year). Poultry is worth around £2 billion at farm-gate and £4.4 billion at retail. BPC member companies directly employ 35,000 and indirectly support another 30,000.
A jump in the price of poultry meat in shops is predicted as producers face big hikes in the cost of feed ingredients.
“British poultry producers are coming under real pressure from global price rises. UK feed wheat has leapt 20% in the last month alone and looks set to rise further. Soyameal, the other main poultry feed ingredient, has risen to an unprecedented high level, up over 65% in the last six months, due to bad weather and lower expected harvest. Feed already makes up half the cost of an oven-ready chicken so it is it is clear that cost increases of this size will inevitably mean higher prices,” said Peter Bradnock, Chief Executive of the British Poultry Council.
“The cost of corn, the other main global poultry and livestock feed crop, is also climbing. Corn and wheat prices are directly related in international markets and both are now kept higher by the huge volumes of these crops going into subsidised biofuels production worldwide. In this demand situation, the forecast of lower crop yields is now pushing prices way up,” said Bradnock.
The Green Food Project Conclusions (Defra, 10/07/2012) is a thought provoking document that seeks to establish a base of mutual understanding on the broad issue of sustainable food production. In many aspects it succeeds, and where the self-confessed gaps appear it merely highlights the extent of work still to do. Read more
