UK poultry, egg producers can expect lower incomes

The average Farm Business Income (FBI), essentially the same as net profit, for specialist poultry farms in the U.K. in 2014-2015 is set to fall from the year before, the country’s Department for Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) predicts.
The poultry sector is not alone in facing a poorer year, and FBI is expected to fall across almost all farm types with specialist pig units recording the largest fall, down 21 percent year-on-year, while average income is expected to fall by around 13 percent on dairy farms.
While throughput is expected to increase for the U.K.’s poultry producers, egg and broiler prices are expected to fall. The poorer outlook for the country’s poultry sector is expected to be partially offset by lower input costs, particularly for poultry feed. Average incomes are, therefore, expected to fall by around 12 percent, DEFRA says.
The Farm Business Survey’s authors note, however, that forecasts for specialist poultry units are subject to a considerable degree of uncertainty, due to the structure of the sector and the small sample size used in making the forecasts.