DEFRA has placed poultry and eggs among the first sectors to receive dedicated growth plans under its new Farming Roadmap 2050, with ministers promising to work with industry on barriers to production, investment, innovation and market development.
The roadmap sets out the government’s long-term direction for farming, with a focus on resilience, profitability, productivity and sustainability.
The most direct commitment is the development of Sector Growth Plans for poultry, including eggs. These will be overseen by a new Farming and Food Partnership Board and are intended to identify practical actions to support growth.
The document also reconfirms that Defra will launch funded Poultry Biosecurity Reviews in 2026. The move forms part of a wider Animal Disease Control and Resilience Strategy covering disease prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.
Egg producers are specifically referenced in relation to supply chain reform. Defra says it will introduce Fair Dealings Regulations for eggs and fresh produce, following similar action in the dairy and pig sectors. The regulations are intended to improve contractual fairness and provide a clearer route for producers to raise concerns through the Agricultural Supply Chain Adjudicator.
Welfare
Animal welfare also features prominently. The roadmap refers to the recent consultation on phasing out cages for laying hens and says government will encourage industry to end the culling of male laying hen chicks. In broilers, Defra says it will support voluntary industry initiatives, including moves away from fast-growing poultry breeds.
Environmental regulation is another major theme. Defra highlights the existing permitting regime for large intensive pig and poultry farms and says the model has delivered environmental improvements. The roadmap points to further work on ammonia, water quality and pollution reduction, alongside plans to double Environment Agency farm inspection capacity over the next three years.
Trade and procurement are also covered. The roadmap notes that chicken and eggs were excluded from tariff reductions in recent trade negotiations with India and the Gulf Cooperation Council. It also says government wants British farmers to win a greater share of the £5bn public sector food and catering market.
NFU President Tom Bradshaw welcomed the focus of the roadmap but said delivery remained the key issue.
“After nearly two years of waiting for this roadmap, it’s good to see resilience, profitability, productivity and sustainability at its heart – all areas we’ve been urging the government to focus on,” he said.
“The government is right to say that the national security context has changed. Combined with climate and economic shocks, the fragilities of our food system now feel very exposed, and we need to move rapidly into delivery mode to turn this around.
“However, while the roadmap is full of ambition, it falls short on action and even shorter on the means of delivery.”
