“We are growing, and growing together” – Pilgrim’s Europe agriculture director reflects on 40 years in the poultry industry

His contribution to the sector was recently recognised when he was named the British Poultry Council’s Poultry Person of the Year, with a presentation at the EPIC (Egg and Poultry Industry Conference) conference.

We caught up with David to talk about his career, his work with Northern Ireland farmers and the main challenges and opportunities facing the industry today.

David’s career with Pilgrim’s Europe began in August 1984, joining Moy Park as trainee manager after graduating from Queen’s University Belfast with a degree in Agriculture.

“My first real job was in our grandparent operation and shortly after that I was involved in the project to build the Carn Hatchery in Portadown as we grew that part of the business,” David said.

In subsequent years David progressed through the business, becoming general manager for Northern Ireland agriculture, before taking the role of Director of Agriculture for Northern Ireland and Great Britain in 2010.

Key to every role David has had within Pilgrim’s Europe is maintaining strong relationships along the supply chain.

“We currently work with 650 really good farming partners,” David adds. “Our role in the agriculture team is to provide a high level of support to and work in partnership with our farmers. Our farm assistance managers and the wider team are doing this on a daily basis. This includes everything from everyday technical assistance to supporting farmers in out of the ordinary moments, for example we had a dedicated team helping with farm damage from the recent storms.”

Pilgrim’s Europe has a fully integrated operation, which includes several feed mills, meaning farmers are supplied with high quality feed ingredients which in turn result in improved animal health and performance.

“As a business we are focused on investing in our infrastructure to maintain the highest standard across animal husbandry, production and processing. Our integrated model means we can work with all our farmers to equip them with the latest technology in feed and husbandry practices, ensuring farming partners remain industry leaders in quality, sustainability and welfare.”

David recently picked up the British Poultry Council and ForFarmers “Poultry Person of the Year” Award, in recognition of his contribution to the industry spanning four decades.

“When my name was read out, it was totally unexpected. My thoughts immediately turned to my mentor, Eric Reid, who had received the same award back in in 2008. Eric was my first boss and brought me into the business as trainee manager. His example and advice was invaluable to me and many others in the industry. He made a real difference to me and inspired me to do the same with others coming through the business.”

The future is bright for poultry and the wider food industry, David says. “This is a brilliant industry to get involved in. Across sectors including farming, processing, engineering and more there are great opportunities out there if you are prepared to work hard. We continue to attract the best people both within the business and as farming partners.

“Through the Pilgrim’s Europe structure we are able to harness our scale and influence to ensure we continue to lead the way on sustainability and welfare. As a business we are growing, and we are growing together with our farming partners. I have had the pleasure of working with hundreds of farming partners over the past 40 years as we have grown together, and I am confident that growth will continue into the next 40 years and beyond.”