British Poultry Council stresses infrastructure, workforce, and trade improvements

The British Poultry Council (BPC) has highlighted critical factors affecting the resilience of the UK poultry meat sector, emphasising the need for strategic improvements in infrastructure, workforce, and trade relations. The BPC's 2025 annual report underscores the sector's role in national food security and outlines necessary conditions to maintain its productivity and resilience.

Infrastructure Challenges

The BPC identifies 'place' as a crucial element, noting that current planning decisions often undermine the sector's infrastructure. Inconsistent and unpredictable planning policies are seen as barriers to investment, reducing capacity and increasing reliance on imports. The report advocates for recognising poultry production as Critical National Infrastructure, which would support stable supply and job creation. Proposed solutions include reforming permitted development rights and creating national planning guidance for food production.

Workforce Needs

The report also stresses the importance of a skilled workforce, highlighting issues like skills shortages and visa accessibility. The BPC calls for a comprehensive workforce framework that aligns food production careers with national priorities. Suggested actions include establishing an 'agri-skills taskforce', reforming the apprenticeship levy, and creating an 'AgriFood shortage occupation list' to facilitate a sustainable visa model for essential roles.

Trade and Competitiveness

Trade relations, particularly with the EU, are identified as another significant pressure point. The lack of a level playing field in UK-EU trade is said to hinder competitiveness, slow exports, and disrupt supply chains. The BPC recommends securing free trade and customs union access, implementing digital-first border processes, and adopting risk-based border management to enhance trade efficiency.

Our report identifies three pressure points – Place, People, and Progress – that determine whether UK poultry meat production holds or fractures.

Richard Griffiths, BPC Chief Executive

The BPC's report calls for government action to create conditions that foster growth and ensure the sector's ability to meet national food demands effectively.

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