The EU egg industry has the enormous task of rehousing
more than three-quarters of the total EU laying flock in just a
little over three years to comply with the 2012 conventional cage
ban.
The broiler industry faces its own challenges with ever tighter
environmental rules over dust and ammonia emissions from poultry
housing.
But some companies are actively helping the poultry sector meet
these challenges by researching and investing in new technology,
such as equipment manufacturer Big Dutchman aided by UK partner
Newquip.
Last month saw Newquip move into its new premises, increasing
its capacity, so helping the layer industry meet the cage deadline.
This opening attracted a rare visit from Big Dutchman's general
manager Bernd Meerpohl, who during his visit talked exclusively to
Poultry World, giving his views on the UK poultry sector and its
prospects.
How many countries does big dutchman operate in and what
is its main business?
Big Dutchman operates in 80 countries. Its main business is the
development and sale of equipment that you might find on a pig or
poultry unit.
Is everything sold under the company brand?
Almost, with a few exceptions, such as our Danish
daughter-company, the ventilation equipment manufacturer Skov.
What is the volume of sales for poultry and what
proportion is this of total activity?
Poultry sales account for k370m (£328m), which is about 70% of
total business activity.
How do you see the UK egg sector compared with the rest
of Europe?
UK producers are definitely ahead of the game. They should feel
proud of themselves, because they started looking at alternative
and enriched colony systems much earlier than many other
countries.
Are you seeing an increase, decrease or no change in the
amount of investment in new poultry units in the UK?
Due to the cage ban deadline of 2012, we are seeing an increase
in enquiries for new buildings, and for the refurbishment of
existing farms to enriched colony systems. Most enquiries come from
very large units with more than 100,000 birds. At the end of the
day, however, we do not expect an increase of bird places in the
UK.
Are there any lessons we could learn from the Continent
in terms of housing and equipment?
Actually, I think that most of continental Europe could learn a
lot from the UK. Producers in the UK accepted alternative methods
very early on, and already have several years of experience with
housing systems and equipment that producers in many other European
countries are just getting used to now.
Do you forsee any serious problems with meeting the cage
ban deadline in 2012?
The UK has converted more battery hen places to alternative and
enriched systems than most other EU countries, and companies like
ours have stepped up production. But producers who put off making a
decision for too long will find it difficult to source labour and
equipment in time to meet the deadline.
Birds already in cages at the time of the deadline will probably
be unaffected. I think EU officials will take a tough line on
anyone who puts new birds into outlawed systems and will have no
hesitation in shutting them down.
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Suggestions from UK producers led to a tweaking of the
design of enriched colonies, says Bernd
Meerpohl |
How are you and Newquip preparing for the expected rise
in demand for colony systems?
At Big Dutchman, we have already tripled our warehouse facility,
mainly because the cage ban already applies in Germany, and
producers have until the end of this year to compy.
Also, we increased our workforce, especially on the technical
side, at an early stage. If we had not done this way ahead of time,
it would certainly be too late now. The expected increase in the
demand for alternative and enriched colony systems is, of course,
one of the reasons Newquip has moved to a larger site.
Your presence at Newquip's opening demonstrates your
faith in the UK sector. Why do you believe our industry is so
successful?
I have faith in the UK sector, because its producers have shown
themselves to be innovative, and they have been flexible enough to
look seriously at alternative housing systems. I also have a lot of
confidence in Newquip, which has been doing a fantastic job in a
difficult operating climate. The company has a very good
understanding of the industry.
Are you a supporter of family businesses like
Newquip?
Certainly. Big Dutchman itself is a family-run business. I work
alongside my father, two sisters and my brother. Family businesses
tend to fight harder to maintain profitability and high standards
of customer service. Service is everything to us. The only person
allowed to veto an order, if it seems too risky, is my father.
How much influence do your distributors have in
developing new products?
It is fair to say that Newquip has a lot of influence on how Big
Dutchman operates. Like Newquip, we are a very sales-orientated
company. We are always willing to listen to feedback. If we keep
hearing the same message, we will act upon it.
For example, our enriched cages have the nest in one corner. But
to keep flow-through constant, the egg belt has to be brought
forward periodically in response to changes in daylight hours. It
is not practical to achieve this manually. But it was suggested to
us that we should position a weighing scale in six locations within
the shed, with weight recordings used to alert the producer to
adjust the belt. That idea came from Newquip customers.
What is the next priority for product
development?
The big challenge at the moment is to find air-cleaning
solutions, to reduce pollution. We also want to find better ways of
utilising poultry manure, and improve intelligent computer systems
to reduce human error and save on labour.
Within the next 12 months, we plan to launch new equipment for
air cleaning and the gasification of manure to produce green
energy.
Bernd Meerpohl in a
minute |
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Where were you brought up and educated?
In
Calveslage Vechta, a small village in northern Germany, which is
considered the capital of the most densely-populated livestock area
of the country. I attended the local school and worked as a trainee
at the local branch of a German bank. I also worked as a trainee at
the office of a chartered accountant.
I never went to university, but I did try to broaden my horizons
and spent a year in Japan to study Japanese and learn more about
the country's culture and business customs. What did you want to do when you left
school?
I wanted to be a farmer, but my father
discouraged the idea. We kept hens, pigs and grew crops, but there
wasn't enough land to provide an income for me. What was the last book you read?
It was
called "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time", by Mark
Haddon. The book is written from the perspective of a 15-year-old
autistic boy, and is both humorous and sad. How do you relax?
Business is my hobby.
With all the responsibility that comes with leading a large
company, I hardly find the time to relax. But I do enjoy reading a
good book once in a while and listening to
music. |