ORGANIC IS NOT JUST CHICKEN FEED - OUR INDUSTRY NEEDS YOU!

Market demand for organic eggs and poultry meat is growing rapidly. Consumers and retailers are committed and willing to pay premium prices for the products, and economically, the UK poultry business - and its suppliers - would benefit significantly from further expansion.

However, livestock producers face a dilemma. The resources needed to support any expansion are currently not available. In short, the UK does not currently produce enough organic raw materials to sustain any increase to flock numbers - especially of the size needed to serve the booming retail trade.

Without closer co-operation between the organic arable sector, the UK organic poultry sector will lose market share and once again our retail shelves will be filled with imported products.

Our overseas competitors do face similar issues, however co-operation is central to their agricultural business ethic and they will work together to secure markets, including our UK market!

The UK organic sector must address this situation now. We must co-operate to realise the significant potential that organic production offers, in addition to the benefits it can bring to other primary food producers and allied businesses.

More UK arable farmers must be encouraged to grow organic raw materials, and not just for the human food market.

As a specialist poultry feed manufacturer Humphrey Feeds’ encounters huge difficulties in securing supplies of organic cereals. Almost all organic crops are grown for human consumption. Market demand is high and producers receive premium prices. It is a realistic situation and justified, especially when you consider the tremendous investment and management input required to reach and maintain organic status and grow crops successfully. However, the circumstances are frustrating as many compounders face huge difficulties when trying to secure a consistent supply of raw materials all year round that are of a consistent quality and volume.

These problems will be heightened as new legislation governing the inclusion rates for non-organic ingredients in animal feeds come into force. By 2012 only organic constituents will be permitted in feeds labelled as organic. This will put greater pressure on resources if the tonnage of organic crops does not increase significantly within the next few years.

Currently, the supply of organic raw materials are insufficient to meet the current demand for 100 per cent organic products, let alone address the on-going rising demand for organic foods. The raw materials are just not available, either from home grown crops or imports.

Closer links between feed companies, organic traders and arable farmers would also allow better matching of crop varieties to nutritional requirements and diet specifications. Such a strategy would also ensure organic livestock and poultry producers were not compromised in achieving maximum growth, performance or production efficiency.

Demand for organic animal feeds is increasing steadily in line with consumer demand for organic milk, meat and eggs. Growing quality organic cereals, pulses and proteins for the feed trade are a viable business option and could help many arable farmers add value to their crops.

Organic poultry production is a golden key. It’s poised for expansion and it must be supported. More birds, means more feed, and will mean we need to grow more organic crops. It’s a simplistic view, but for the UK farming industry, I believe it is a win-win situation that will benefit poultry producers, arable farmers, the feed trade and British consumers.