Bird flu, higher costs and the rise of meat-free options are pushing poultry producers to reduce flocks or give up entirely
James Mottershead’s family has been in the chicken farming business for two decades, but nothing compares with the current situation. “Absolutely dire,” is his summary.
is ever-present. Cheaper imports and the rise of meat-free alternatives have added another wave of pressure.chicken is the UK’s most popular meatBut these challenges are pushing many domestic producers to reduce the size of their flocks, while others weigh up whether to continue at all. Many producers are in a “really, really terrible position” and are making a loss on each bird, says Mottershead, who as chair of the National Farmers’ Union poultry board represents many of England and Wales’s chicken and turkey farmers.
Chicken producers have few options for cutting their energy costs: poultry sheds have to be lit and heated, and also ventilated using large fans, to keep the birds cool and ensure they have oxygen.Photograph: Floortje/Getty Images/iStockphoto, which subsidises bills for eligible manufacturers.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
‘A budget is a moral document’: why does the NYPD need $29m a day?The Museum of Broken Windows aims to explore what New York City could be like if funds were diverted from the police
Read more »
Sudanese army blocks Britons from boarding last rescue flightsNearly 1,900 have been evacuated, says UK government, but final flight has yet to leave Khartoum
Read more »
Can you solve it? Chicken or eggBrain games from a master puzzler
Read more »
‘Awkwardness is part of life’: Amelia Dimoldenberg on Chicken Shop Date and flirting with Andrew GarfieldThe deadpan YouTuber went from quizzing grime stars over wings to Vanity Fair’s Oscars party red carpet. What happens now she’s becoming as famous as the people she interviews?
Read more »
ASX finished the day up on MondaySky News Business Editor Ross Greenwood says the ASX 200 finished the day up on Monday.
Read more »