MP HOSTS MEETING FOR CHICKEN PRODUCERS (Walsall Liberal Democrats)

Walsall Liberal Democrats <info@libdems.org.uk>

MP HOSTS MEETING FOR CHICKEN PRODUCERS

March 31, 2009 12:00 AM

Paul Keetch MP for Hereford MP for Hereford, Paul Keetch called a meeting at Westminster of fellow MPs, a dozen poultry producers and the British poultry council. With the news that a cooked rotisserie chicken is now part of the Centre for National Statistics' shopping list, it is evident that chicken plays an important part in the British Diet.

Commenting Mr Keetch stated, "I thought that the meeting would be invaluable for MPs to hear the truth concerning the current status of the poultry industry. I wanted as many MPs as possible to attend and hear directly from poultry producers from their own constituencies.

I have visited poultry producers in my own constituency and have seen the great work that they do. I am proud to have them in my constituency helping to make Herefordshire notorious for great quality British produce.

The British poultry industry at the moment is in a very difficult situation as at the moment the United Kingdom imports almost 50% of its chicken meat from countries such as Brazil, Thailand and Holland, when we produce some of the best and most humanely reared chickens in the world.

It was evident from the meeting that there is a lot of disinformation concerning the conditions in which chickens are reared in this country. British poultry producers are introducing new stricter standards starting on the 1st April, meaning that the chickens bred in this country will have some of the best living conditions, no matter what price they are. The EU will not introduce this legislation.

I fear that many people believe that a cheaper chicken may be poor quality, and we as MPs must strive to change this opinion to allow people to accept that British chicken is some of the finest meat you can buy.

I am proud to eat British chicken as in these difficult economic times a chicken can provide a whole family an inexpensive, nutritious family meal, and I would urge everyone to support British farming and buy British chicken."