MOY PARK, along with Queens University Belfast and JF McKenna, have been awarded an Innovate UK grant towards a £250,000 project to develop a model for high-welfare, low-emission, poultry housing.
The three partners will use the funding to develop their ‘Ideal Home’ project, which hopes to provide a more resource- and energy-efficient way to build and operate poultry houses.
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It will focus on improving animal health and welfare, heating and ventilation, lighting and feeding systems.
Innovate UK is a non-departmental public body operating at arm’s length from the Government as part of the United Kingdom Research and Innovation organisation.
It provides funding and support to science and technology projects.
Moy Park head of research and development, Anne Richmond said: “Ideal Home is an exciting and innovative project with high reward potential, which drives transformational change to boost sustainability and productivity across the UK’s poultry production system.
Net zero
“From an industry perspective, work must start now to help achieve the net-zero emission target by 2040, in a manner that assures high animal welfare.
“The Ideal Home partnership, led by Moy Park, has developed a project that introduces a detailed baseline assessment identifying the current situation within ‘traditional’ housing.
“Net-zero emission agriculture, coupled with feeding the growing global population, can only succeed if improved production and sustainability are fully integrated into the food production process.”
The feasibility project will span 18 months, over which time the research consortium will work with farmers and customers on the proposed precision solutions.
