Turkey Production Unit, UK

Royal Agricultural University

Opening new doors has opened my mind through Nuffield, but this doesn’t just happen, it occurs because of a willingness of people to meet, share and engage about their business and personal experiences. Many of you have asked about my agenda while travelling abroad, so here is a summary from the three days in the UK this week.

John Alliston, Former Dean, Nuffield Alumni, Royal Agricultural University

• Agriculture education, relevancy and attracting talent to the sector
• Historical walk down memory lane connecting with profs from my time in ’99-‘00
• Leadership in agriculture; John coaches, promotes and encourages continuous learning

Martin Waite, Regional Manager – Agricultural Mortgage Company, Division of Lloyds Banking

• On farm debt levels, ratios and ability to react in volatile markets
• A comparison of UK vs CDN ag banking systems
• Farmers focus on risk mitigation through the use of fixed rate 30 & 40 year loans

Malcom, Liz and Tom Hughes – Salford Lodge Farm, 600,000 Unit Broiler & Diversified Farm

• An evolution from converting turkey production to broiler chickens
• The continuous improvement of poultry housing, meeting a growing demand for product
• Understanding the business cash flows, including turnover of barns every 7 weeks
• UK chicken: windows, campylobacter, marketing and a need to comply

Richard Hutchinson – Sales & Marketing Director – Europe, Aviagen Turkeys

• The future of European turkey production evolving with changing demands and markets
• Opportunities and challenges in growth segments of turkey domestically and abroad
• A balancing act of expanding markets while adhering to the genetic research, development and time invested

Dan Roberts – Area Farm Manager Supervisor, Faccenda Foods

• A randomized connection through the Nuffield/Social Media network
• Mutual exchange around the benefits of the professional development, especially Nuffield
• Talking production, logistics and farm management of corporate owned poultry units

Burgess Adams – Adams Turkey Farm, 6 shed, 24,000-unit turkey grow out farm

• Commercial turkey production grown from 5 to 19 weeks of aged, brooded offsite, utilizing the Grader Maker variety
• 22 years of turkey experience working with at least three processors as the industry evolved through stagnant and even shrinking market growth
• Being on site and in the barn was a terrific experience to witness the small things; bale carriers, radiated heat and assessing litter quality

Alastair West – Senior Category Manager, Poultry – Faccenda Foods

• Fascinating to actually have a turkey product specialist go through the steps needed to develop and launch a new product
• Making a consideration that turkey is not chicken and that real substation is coming from the red meat sector
• All about the 5 P’s, Product, Price, Promotion, Placement and Profit – need every single element
• Relationship, relationship, relationship – at the processor/retailer level in order to gain success

New Chicken Barn, 2015

Heavy Toms or Stags as they say in the UK