CAFRE and UFU joint poultry conference to address market trends and energy costs

Jointly hosted by College of Agriculture and Rural Enterprise and the Ulster Farmers’ Union, the free event will be hosted at CAFRE’s Greenmount Campus on Monday 5 December 2022.

CAFRE’s Senior Poultry Advisor, Claire Anderson, is encouraging poultry farmers and producers to attend.

“This CAFRE and UFU joint initiative will address key issues affecting poultry farmers in Northern Ireland at present including market trends, avian influenza and energy costs,” she said.

“It will be an informative event relevant to both poultry meat and commercial egg producers and will provide a forum for discussion to share knowledge and solutions. The event is free but places are limited and booking is encouraged as soon as possible,” Claire commented.

The three keynote speakers at the event are John Kirkpatrick, Agricultural Manager for Poultry and Eggs at TESCO PLC, Robert Huey, Chief Veterinary Officer, DAERA and Richard Bell, founder, past owner and past Managing Director of Solmatix Renewables.

David Ramsay, Chairman of the UFU’s Poultry Committee, is delighted to be involved in the event.

He added: “This event will bring together three eminent speakers to address the pressing issues facing our sector currently. John will give us an understanding of the poultry products consumers are currently buying and predicted buying patterns as the cost-of-living crisis continues.

David continued: “Also, with retailers working towards becoming zero-carbon businesses, what this will mean to us as producers? Avian influenza has already been confirmed in Northern Ireland in captive birds. Does that now mean that the disease is endemic? We are delighted to have Robert Huey to cover this topic. Energy costs are crippling most farm businesses.

“Richard Bell will help us understand how energy audits can help us identify appropriate renewable technologies for our businesses,” he concluded.

The conference is free but booking is essential. Get your tickets at: https://www.cafre.ac.uk/events/ni-poultry-conference-market-avian-influenza-and-energy/

The joint poultry conference will be held on Monday 5 December 2022, starting at 7pm in CAFRE, Greenmount Campus, Antrim, BT41 4PS.