NFU Cymru recently hosted its annual Poultry Conference which saw poultry farmers and industry leaders come together in Builth Wells to discuss the issues facing the sector.

After being welcomed by NFU Cymru Poultry Board Chairman, Richard Williams, members in attendance heard from Dr Richard Irvine, the Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) for Wales.Dr Irvine gave an overview of avian influenza and the comparisons between years showing a seasonal pattern. Bird flu continues to remain a global concern with disease being combatted across different parts of the world.

Dr Irvine recommended making use of the biosecurity check lists, which can be accessed via the Welsh Government website, as a tool to help protect flocks. He explained the important need for businesses to consider what contingency plans they would put in place if the worst were to happen, and they suffered an outbreak. He explained what would happen on farm in an outbreak and highlighted the importance of keeping thorough records for tracings.

Next up to speak was Aimee Mahony, NFU Chief Poultry Adviser, who gave an insightful view of the NFU Poultry Board’s mission statement to ‘protect, promote and progress the interests of poultry producers within the wider work of the NFU’. She highlighted some main priorities they are currently focusing on including using scientific data to support informed decision making and fairness in the supply chain.

Members in attendance then heard from Gwesyn Davies, the new owner of Ellis Eggs about his journey into the poultry industry. He told the audience that in 2021 he had no hens, now he has 240,000 hens, across a total of nine farms. He is also a fourth-generation sheep and beef farmer. He told members that the most important lesson about expanding a business is to trust your staff and that employing the right people is key to a successful business.

Next to address the audience was Thomas Wareham, Head of Broiler Production at Drummond Poultry. He outlined the work of the family-run business and said that having started with a single farm, the operation has grown to now include 27 poultry farms across the UK, and are managed by Brackley Farms Ltd, EC Drummond & Son and EC Drummond Poultry Ltd.

Their mission is ‘to sustainably deliver the highest quality products to our customers and partners, achieve profitable returns for all parties and allow future generations to continue working in the farming sector’.

Conference goers then heard from Paul Crump, Arable Trade Manager at Wynnstay, who also kindly sponsored the conference. He explained that global weather across the Northern Hemisphere has impacted grain prices short term and UK consumers saw large stocks carried from 2023 to 2024 harvest. He also updated on the UK supply and demand picture, as well as currency fluctuations and market trends.

The conference was closed by NFU Cymru Poultry Board Vice-Chair, Victoria Shervington Jones.