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Farming Today: 05/10/2011

05/10/2011

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, 05/10/2011

It will be harder to find organic chicken in shops in the future, says industry body.

There will be less organic chicken in supermarkets in the future according to British Poultry Council. It says production costs are increasing for the niche market.

Organic chicken will become a rarer sight on supermarket shelves according to the industry body. Currently the organic chicken market makes up less than 1% of the UK market. It is estimated that each week 100,000 organic chickens are eaten in the UK compared to 17 million non-organic birds. The British Poultry Council says the market will shrink in the future due to the cost of feed, new restrictions from the EU and consumers choosing cheaper chicken in the recession. The Soil Association, which is responsible for the organic certification scheme says shoppers should consider the bird's welfare and diet, as well as the cost when picking their Sunday lunch. 

The barley harvest is almost in across the UK - and the yields are down by around 20% on average. The level of nitrogen in the barley will mean the maltsters, who mix the barley for beer, will have to re-calculate their recipes for this year. 

Finally, Anna Hill meets a developer who is in favour of proposed changes to the planning rules in the National Planning Policy Framework, which has been put out to public consultation until October 17th. 

Presenter: Anna Hill; Producer; Angela Frain.

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