On chicken meat sales Charles Bourns, Chair of the Poultry Board, reported that there had been concerns about a slackening off in demand, but that the latest TNS figures showed that the whole chicken market was up by 3.7 per cent with corn-fed chicken sales up by 14.1 per cent, largely due to in-store promotions. However, farmers are losing as retailers demand slightly lighter chickens – each of which will have the same management and processing costs.

Mr Bourns also reported a two per cent rise in egg sales and a continuing improvement in the market with wholesale market prices picking up.

The NFU continues to lobby on behalf of British farmers who have spent £400 million converting their cages in order to meet the welfare of laying hens directive. NFU policy remains that eggs produced in conventional cages after the 1 January 2012 should, at the very least, not leave the borders of the country in which they were produced.

The Love Chicken web site has been available since mid-January and has recently been updated with a new video shot on the farm of broiler chicken producer, David Speller. The site is attracting thousands of visitors due to its use of social media. The competition which ran in the Asda magazine attracted 22,000 entries and another competition advertised in the Mumsnet newsletter attracted 15,000 entries. All these entries now offer an opportunity for future British chicken marketing campaigns.