Traditional Norfolk Poultry (TNP), based mostly in Shropham, close to Attleborough, misplaced almost 300,000 birds on eight farms final autumn, when the area grew to become the epicentre of the nation’s worst-ever avian influenza outbreak.
Some of these farms have solely simply seen their flocks return after a prolonged clean-up operation.
But though the chance degree is now a lot decrease, a confirmed case in Lincolnshire on November 9 is a well timed reminder that the illness stays a menace to this key East Anglian farm sector.
So, this yr, TNP started processing turkeys 10 days sooner than ordinary, within the first week of November, partly as a “danger mitigation” measure to get free-range poultry off the land earlier than the an infection danger from migrating wild birds rises in the course of the winter.
Managing director Mark Gorton stated the corporate is taking all doable precautions to stop a repeat of final yr’s losses.
“There is a big quantity of coaching with the employees on biosecurity, bird-proofing all of the sheds, something we are able to do to maintain the wild birds away,” he stated.
“Last yr we stopped all guests to farms however even now we do not go to farms until we actually have to.
“And after we are filling our turkey sheds up with straw we take it straight off the harvest subject into the shed, so it isn’t sitting round letting all of the birds perch on it.”
Mr Gorton stated vaccination could be the long-term answer to chicken flu – and he’s optimistic the primary UK trials might occur subsequent yr, if laws permits.
“The French are vaccinating all their geese throughout the nation this yr as a trial, and they’re utilizing a dual-purpose vaccine that may additionally work in chickens,” he stated.
“The massive hold-up is the laws, the testing and the cost, as a result of in the event you vaccinate your flock you’ll then have to check it often to examine whether or not it’s got the virus, as a result of you wouldn’t essentially see it as a result of you wouldn’t get any deaths.
“The testing goes to cost an absolute fortune. For a business like us it will cost thousands and thousands, so it’s utterly unviable. The French have discovered a means of doing it, nevertheless it must be stated that the French authorities are funding 85pc of it.
“So, the vaccines are there, and other people need to do it, however how are we going to observe it? We assume, if it will occur, it would in all probability be achieved subsequent yr within the seasonal turkey flocks as a tester. That is lifelike, relying on laws.”
Agricultural director Jim Lambert stated “continuous coaching of employees” was the quick biosecurity precedence – however he’s very happy with the standard of this yr’s turkeys.
“The turkeys are wanting actually good, distinctive,” he stated. “The weights are the place they must be and the well being is second to none this yr. It is wanting good in the intervening time – fingers crossed.”
Traditional Norfolk Poultry’s administrators, from left, Mark Gorton, Andy Holt, Scott Mckinney and Jim Lambert (Image: Chris Hill)
RESTRUCTURING FOR THE FUTURE
Traditional Norfolk Poultry has promoted three new administrators onto its board, because the agency pursues a 20pc progress ambition after three turbulent years.
Jim Lambert, Scott Mckinney and Andy Holt will head up the agriculture, finance and gross sales operations respectively, with a mixed whole of 24 years’ expertise with the corporate.
The agency’s funds have been hit by three years of unprecedented challenges, together with the Covid pandemic, rampant cost inflation, labour shortages and chicken flu.
But having weathered these storms, the brand new administrators are optimistic for higher instances forward, based mostly on maximising markets for their premium free-range meat, increasing the farm base and utilising the additional capability within the £3m manufacturing facility extension, completed two years in the past.
Finance director Mr Mckinney stated: “We have seen progress, however we need to see progress with profitability, and it must be on the proper tempo.
“The previous few years haven’t been the place we needed it to be, and there are severe the reason why that has not occurred. But we’ve got bought a strong business, and we have to return again to profitability, as any wholesome business ought to.”
Free-range turkeys reared by Traditional Norfolk Poultry (Image: Traditional Norfolk Poultry)
Mr Lambert stated his precedence was to proceed increasing the farm base and to “get the momentum again on monitor once more” inside the agricultural aspect of the business.
And gross sales director Mr Holt stated there are many alternatives inside a buoyant retail marketplace for premium, high-welfare poultry meat.
He stated recent new product improvements included herb-fed chickens, which graze on natural leys on the farm, with further herbs of their feed.
“I feel there’s a lot of confidence to take ahead,” he stated. “There are so many alternatives in retail, as a result of we’re so specialised in that we solely do ‘free vary’. People see that as an actual plus level.
“There is loads of capability within the manufacturing facility to supply extra merchandise, and we are able to get extra farms to supply extra turkeys and chickens.”
Since it was based in 1988, TNP has grown right into a £50m business processing thousands and thousands of birds per yr, together with a whole bunch of 1000’s of Christmas turkeys, on 65 farms throughout East Anglia.
Managing director Mark Gorton stated the boardroom adjustments have been a pure subsequent step after he purchased out fellow founder David Garner three years in the past to turn out to be the only real proprietor of TNP.
“The business has grown lots and this was the appropriate factor to do to maneuver up one other degree, to assist me by taking among the pressures and tasks away from myself, but in addition to assist these guys progress their careers with the business – appointing from inside so everyone right here is aware of what our passions are, what our targets are,” he stated.
