The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has called for the number of poultry advisors employed by Teagasc to be increased.
IFA Poultry Committee chair Nigel Sweetnam said that the lack of advisors for the sector in the semi-state agency is “something that has to be rectified”.
“Poultry accounts for 46% of meat consumption in this country, yet our main research agency has only one dedicated adviser for poultry.
“This is far short of what’s available for other meats, which make up only a little more of overall consumption,” he said.
Teagasc
The IFA Poultry chair said that Taoiseach Leo Varadkar “expressed his surprise that such an imbalance existed” when the matter was highlighted to him during the association’s annual general meeting (AGM) in January.
Sweetnam said that growers need access to more expertise if they are to continue to maintain the highest levels of flock health and to produce to world-class standards for consumers.
“The sector is facing several challenges, including disease outbreaks, food safety concerns and sustainability issues.
“These can only be tackled through scientific research that helps identify best practice, improves animal welfare, and reduces environmental impacts.
“We need a robust research programme that will enable us to develop innovative and sustainable solutions for the poultry sector,” he said.
“We need to have a dedicated facility with adequate resources to conduct research, develop strategies, and provide solutions for the poultry sector,” the IFA Poultry chair added.
Sweetnam said that the IFA will be raising the issue with Teagasc to determine how the resources available to the poultry sector can be expanded “to reflect the amount of shelf space that it occupies”.