Developing the supply of organic pullets in Wales

The results of a project to develop the supply of organic pullets in Wales will be presented to producers at two workshops organized by Organic Centre Wales later this month. Organic egg producers in Wales have consistently identified sourcing organic pullets as one of their biggest problems. The situation is becoming increasingly urgent as from the end of 2012 producers will no longer be allowed to use part-organic pullets, that is, birds from conventional systems that have been raised in accordance with the organic feed and animal health standards. Organic Centre Wales has been working on a project to encourage fully organic pullet rearing as part of its new Better Organic Business Links project (BOBL), building on work previously carried out under the Farming Connect Organic Development Programme.
 
Tony Little, who manages the project for OCW said: “This is a really important and pressing issue and the organic poultry sector has a long way to go before it is ready for the change in the regulation in 2012. We have got to have more people producing organic pullets, whether it is for their own enterprise or to supply others, and I hope this project will make a significant contribution to doing that.” These workshops are important for anyone considering starting up a new pullet-rearing enterprise or expanding an existing one. This includes organic poultry producers, organic farmers considering diversification, and conventional producers or rearers interested in organic conversion. They will present data on the demand for organic pullets in Wales; discuss levels of investment required for various types and scales of enterprise; present gross margin data for pullet rearing specifically; discuss certifcation issues; and provide information on practical rearing techniques. Two identical events will be held, one on 21 January at Gelli Aur Resource centre, Carmarthenshire College, and the other on 26 January at Henfaes Research Centre, Bangor. Contact: Tony Little

Organic Centre Wales