BPC head says UK will need to build more chicken ‘mega-farms’

The CEO of the British Poultry Council (BPC), Richard Griffiths, has said that more chicken ‘mega-farms’ are “the way that we’re going to feed the country” in a recent interview with The Bureau of Investigative Journalism.

The poultry sector has recently seen a 27% increase in farms holding 40,000 birds or more between 2011 and 2017, and Griffiths said: “Larger farms are probably the most efficient way to go in terms of technology, resources, impact.”

Britain has one of the largest poultry industries in Europe, contributing £3bn to the UK economy and employing 37,000 people. It is thought that the average British person eats chicken twice per week.

Some animal welfare groups believe that the ‘mega-farms’ are cruel and say that they are bad for the welfare of chickens.

Griffiths said in response to the criticism: “Indoor reared birds, on any size of farm, are in a controlled environment that provides good welfare. We operate under science-based legislation, the requirements of which are delivered by professional farmers and vets with high levels of training and experience.”