Poultrymeat dominates farm income figures

The dominant role played by the poultrymeat sector in the rural economy has been highlighted in a new analysis of farm output and incomes in England by Defra.

The figures reveal that, for the country as a whole, poultry is the third biggest farming sector with an overall value of £1.89bn in 2013. Only dairying and wheat production were bigger, with sales worth £2.73bn and £1.94bn respectively.

Eggs were relatively “small fry” with an estimated output value of £531m.

See more Milk brings in more income than wheat

The analysis also looks at the total income from farming (TIFF) – an estimate of business profit – and regional influence, revealing that in some areas of the country, poultry is actually the dominant sector.

In the east of England, for example, it tops the list with total value of £656m, ahead of wheat (£561m), pigs (£324m) and fresh vegetables (£321). And in the East and West Midlands, it is the second biggest sector, exceeded only by wheat and milk respectively.

Rising poultrymeat prices have also helped drive the increases in TIFF in some of these regions, the Defra report explains. For example, in the North West, where poultrymeat is the third most important sector, TIFF increased by 37% last year. “This was largely driven by a rise in the value of milk and meat production, in particular poultry,” it says.

Across the whole country, TIFF was up 12% to £4.1bn, while output grew 5.6% to just over £19bn.

The findings come as a separate survey by the British Poultry Council (BPC) confirms the popularity of poultrymeat among consumers. Based on a Populus survey of more than 2,000 adults in early April, it is revealed that 69% of consumers list poultrymeat as their most purchased meat, compared with 16% for beef and 11% for pork.

The product is especially popular with women and younger consumers.

BPC chief executive Andrew Large said the strong preference for poultrymeat reflected the fact it is “a tasty, nutritious and versatile meat that represents great value for consumers”.