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The NFU has responded to a poll by the RSPCA which says 73 per cent of consumers are buying higher welfare chicken after watching the recent television shows by celebrity chefs.

But poultry leaders along with celebrity chefs have issued caution to consumers to remember buying British must also be top of their shopping list.

Trends in consumer buying show a divide among consumers, with the better-off opting to buy free range and organic chicken, while people on lower incomes continue to rely on the availability of low cost, healthy chicken and eggs.

But the increase in demand for higher welfare birds is forcing retail buyers abroad, warns NFU poultry board chairman Charles Bourns.

He believes the industry was already reacting to consumer demand for higher welfare chicken and eggs before the programmes by Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley- Whittingstall but says the shows have accelerated demand beyond UK supply and farmers need time and money to invest in new production methods.

"It is important for farmers, consumers and the economy to support a thriving British poultry industry and I welcome people taking an interest with how their food is produced, after all it is what the NFU's Why Farming Matters' campaign has been all about. But producers need to have profitable prices at the farm gate to ensure they are able to react to these changes in the marketplace and change their production systems", he said.

"All poultry farmed in the UK, no matter what production system is used, is world-leading. The welfare of birds is down to good stockmanship and UK farmers pride themselves in being the best. We will continue to react to consumer demand to produce higher welfare birds and eggs, and we also have to ensure consumers have the products available that best suits their purse."

Robert Newbery, NFU chief poultry adviser, added: "The majority of the market is still for low cost, efficiently produced, healthy chicken meat and eggs; this is still a very cost sensitive market place. According to our cost of production research NFU members are losing around 2.5p for every chicken produced. It's a brave business that invests hundreds of thousands of pounds in new buildings and land in that kind of market place, not to mention the difficulties faced trying to gain planning permission for all these new units required.

"Recent Defra research tells us that of consumers surveyed, 82 per cent said they make a point of buying British, closely followed by 77 per cent who like to buy free range eggs, and 57 per cent free range meat. While this doesn't reflect actual buying trends, it does indicate a willingness to trade up to, but buying British is the primary influencing factor. It would be a real shame if this accelerated demand continues to drive retail buyers abroad for supply".

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