Poultry Council Report March 2023

1. Market Report  

The Irish Poultry industry has had significant increases in input costs on farm and for processing plants and egg packers.  Last month’s Kantar data showed that grocery inflation rose to a record 16.7%. According to the CSO data, poultry prices have increased by 19.5% over the last 12months and the price of eggs has increased 22.3%. 10% of that increase on eggs attributed to October/ November 2022 while protests were ongoing outside discounters in Cavan.  While the price of poultry meat and eggs has increased substantially on the shelf, some groups of farmers have yet to receive their full cost recovery from the food chain and the IFA National Committee are continuously working on this.  

Unfortunately for some egg producers, the increase that is being paid by consumers for eggs on the retail shelf is not being returned to producers of the product as some have failed to pass the proportion of this increase back to farm gate, which is forcing egg producers to explore export markets currently. The Committee are engaging with retailers and the packers to ensure producers receive the full amount available to them. This highlights the need for a food ombudsperson with statutory powers of enforcement. This is critical to controlling the power of a small number of retailers that have reduced the viability of poultry Irish farmers. 

According to the European Commission, the average price for broiler meat is €2.56/kg carcass weight (Irish price reported is also €2.56/kg), while average EU egg price is €1.88/ dozen (Irish prices reported to the commission are €1.73/kg wholesale).  

2. Activity since last National Council 

• Actively meeting with the TAMS department ahead of the launch of TAMS 3 in particular to highlight the importance of including biosecurity measures as part of TAMS 3 given the significant pressures that are on the sector currently.  
• Continuous engagement with processors and egg packers on pricing and other group relevant issues.  
• Engagement with department, AHI, EPA, IEA, MII and Bord Bia. 
• Meeting with retailers on poultry specific issues relating to price, changes in production systems, sustainability and viability.  
• Communication with media relative to disease outbreaks.  

• Ongoing investigation of the production of biochar from poultry litter and its potential to increase artificial fertiliser potency by between 200-300%.  

3. EU/COPA developments 

• End of cages – presentation of study’s conclusions. Copa-Cogeca have conducted an impact assessment on the end of cages and the potential impact associated with the change for agriculture and associated transition periods. Should this come into immediate effect by 2025, its expected that circa 3% of EU egg production would cease and up to 37% of pork meat would cease.  
• Day old chicks – engaging with Copa-Cogeca to find a suitable and sustainable solution to address this topic. Information will follow in the coming weeks.    

• Avian Influenza update: EU vaccination programme – “In the context of avian flu, specific rules for vaccination will be introduced when used as a measure to control or prevent the disease. This will allow safe movements of animals and products from establishments and zones where vaccination has taken place” Stella Kyriakides. Link to the legislation can be found here: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2023/361/oj 

4. Upcoming issues 

• Establishment of IFA National Poultry WhatsApp group to share relevant information and updates to poultry producers and assist with knowledge transfer. 
• Actively engaging and working to ensure fair price is being returned to poultry producers.  

• Ongoing investigation of the production of biochar from poultry litter and its potential to increase artificial fertiliser potency by between 200-300%.