BRITISH LION members must now undertake compulsory training in a move that the scheme says will ensure “consistent high standards” across the sector.
All farmers in egg production, pullet rearing and hatchery operatives will need to complete the training, which costs £20/person per year.
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The Lion Training Passport covers topics including bird welfare, biosecurity, food hygiene and health & safety.
It was established by an industry-led working group comprising the British Egg Industry Council (BEIC), as well as training providers Poultec Training and Lantram.
A similar scheme already exists for producers in poultrymeat production.
Welfare training
BEIC chairman Andrew Joret said: “With this new scheme we are revolutionising the way we are able to deliver hen welfare training in the egg laying sector by ensuring stockspeople all receive high quality training and are measured against a consistent standard of best practice.
“Good stockspeople are vital to good hen welfare so the introduction of a compulsory passport that can be tracked throughout an individual’s career is a significant achievement and fantastic news for the industry and its customers.
“We’re always exploring new ways to develop the Lion Code to ensure the highest standards.
“Introducing the Lion passport as a compulsory scheme is a sign of our ongoing commitment to deliver and build on those standards.”
More information can be found on the training scheme website.
