Poultry sector faces unfair competition and high costs

26-Jan-2012 - Last updated on 19-Aug-2020 at 08:33 GMT

The UK poultry sector needs fair competition and stable input costs

The UK poultry industry in 2012 must tackle legal differences between the UK and other EU countries and soaring feed costs, according to Philip Wilkinson, director of 2 Sisters Food Group.

In this exclusive podcast, recorded at our sister title Food Manufacture’s 2012 Business Leaders' Summit at the Institute of Directors in London, Wilkinson sets out the challenges facing the sector. He explains the difficulties presented by the regulatory differences between the UK and other EU countries over the stocking densities of broiler chickens.

More regulated

“The poultry industry is probably more regulated than any other sector,” said Wilkinson. While welcoming the UK’s robust legal framework overall, he said the industry was not only struggling under the burden of over-regulation, but inspectors tramping around farms and plants also posed biosecurity risks. “We want fewer people on farms, not more,” he added.

For more news and views on the business leaders summit, click here.