New laws for EU poultry farmers
Poultry farmers will be allowed to combust poultry litter on-farm.
The NFU support the law which will allow on-farm poultry litter combustion Poultry farmers across the EU will soon be allowed to combust poultry litter on-farm to create energy, thanks to new European laws. From July 15th this year, poultry farms across the continent will be able to make use of their chicken litter for on-farm energy.
For many years, the NFU has been in favour of these changes, which they say will make the UK’s poultry industry more economically and environmentally sustainable.
Two NFU members, Norfolk-based poultry farmers Nigel and Patrick Joice, produce 5.8 million birds per year, and have been trialling the system since 2012. Their two 55kw biomass burners have successfully produced up to 93 per cent of the farm’s heat requirements, and this research has encouraged and shaped legislation.
Chairman of the NFU poultry board, Duncan Priestner said:
“This [law] represents a massive, positive development for the poultry industry, one which embraces new technology and is keen to make use of on-farm by-products, both to the benefit of business and the environment, by relying less on traditional energy sources.”
Other suggested benefits include healthier birds, minimised biosecurity risks and opportunities to use nutrient rich ash on farmland. Duncan says that the NFU will work closely with the Government to minimise regulatory burden and costs, and to re-enforce its commitment to supporting renewable energy and sustainable food production.
With Strangles Awareness Week just around the corner (5-11 May), vets are being encouraged to share a survey about the disease with their horse-owning clients.
