Calls have been made to drastically improve the provision of poultry education across the island of Ireland.

Poultry Industry Education Trust (PIET) chair, Peter Morgan, noted that there are currently no opportunities for Irish students to avail of degree and post-graduate study opportunities in poultry science at home.

He made the comments at the organisation’s 2025 conference, held at Loughry College in Co. Tyrone this week

He said: “The poultry industry is worth approximately £1.5 billion to the entire Irish economy on an annual basis.

However, he said that it remains deeply disappointing that students interested in poultry science and management systems have to travel to England and Scotland to avail of the educational opportunities they need.

A core driver for PIET is the provision of scholarships for Irish students wishing to avail of third-level qualifications in poultry-related subject areas.

Morgan said: “These scholarships are made available on all-island basis, the funding for which is secured courtesy of the sponsorship received for our biennial conference."

The theme for the 2025 event was 'Current and Future Challenges'.

Poultry production

The event takes place at a time of fast-improving returns across the entire Irish poultry sector.

Egg prices have strengthened dramatically over the past four years while broiler chicken margins remain extremely buoyant.

Meanwhile, feed costs - the biggest factor in determining the sustainability of all poultry enterprises - remain extremely low in historical terms.

Recent years have also seen a major improvement in the general public’s perception of eggs. And this relates to consumers of all age groups.

Eggs are now globally regarded as a 'super food', particularly with regard to the quality of the protein they contain.

Given this backdrop, there is a growing belief that the economics of poultry production will remain extremely sustainable into the future.

IFA

Irish Farmers Association (IFA) poultry committee chair, Nigel Sweetnam, also addressed the PIET conference.

He specifically highlighted the opportunity for the poultry and tillage sectors to become more aligned when it comes to making best use of the manures produced by egg and broiler producers.

He also noted the threat posed by disease to the Irish poultry sector.

He said: “These include the likes of salmonella and avian influenza.

“These are a constant source of worry for poultry producers.

"Maintaining the highest levels of bird health are crucially important as the Irish poultry industry looks to the future.”