US In A Flap Over Chicken Wing Shortage
The credit crunch has led to a growth in cheap and cheerful sports bar dining in the US, sending demand for chicken wings soaring (nice pun), at a time when US chicken production is falling for the first time in 36 years.
Hence the US has got itself into a flap (thank you) over a shortage of chicken wings, and is being forced to create the boneless wing to satisfy consumer demand. I kid you not.
The story continues to get even stranger with the revelation that in the US chicken wings are now dearer than boneless chicken breasts. Pullet the other one? No siree, I'll layer you ten to one on I'm telling the truth:
I'd take the breasts all day long
KFC In Trouble
Everybody's favourite well-balanced nutritional snack, a bargain bucket with Vienetta and 2 litres of coke, KFC are under fire following their recent UK TV advertising campaign that claims "KFC. Fresh, on the bone chicken, every store, every day."
In fact the Advertising Standards Authority have discovered that the meat was delivered to branches only three times a week.
I'm surprised it's as often as that.
Hands up who's heard the urban myth about the guy who orders a chicken burger from KFC stipulating 'no mayo' only to get home to find that the stupid eastern European monkey behind the counter has given him mayo after all. So he takes it back to complain only to find that it's not mayo, it's a chicken with a huge abscess.
Or the one about the girl who tucked into Kentucky Fried Mouse.
Would you like to go large with that?
Pass Me Another Chicken This One's Full
Apparently "attractive" male chickens (note avoidance of use of the word cock) produce less sperm per "intense moment of Divine beauty" than his less attractive counterpart.
The theory being that a Brad Pitt look-alike chicken will get so many more copping off opportunities than the unfortunate Carlos Tevez version, that he deliberately spreads his load as it were.
Meanwhile your Abi Titmuss of the chicken world has so much sperm from so many different males swilling around inside her that a 'sperm competition' goes on. That's probably a bit like the preliminary rounds of the FA Cup I'd guess. Derbyshire Redcaps 2, Buff Orpington 1.
Fascinating stuff. A bit like Middlesbrough on a Saturday night. Adds a whole new dimension to the expressions "spit roast" or "spatchcock" doesn't it?
The Poultry Site
Major Irish Chicken Producer Facing Liquidation
One of Ireland's biggest poultry producers was engaged in a desperate race against time last night to save 250 jobs, including part-time and seasonal workers.
Cappoquin Chickens was placed under the protection of the High Court in May. Financial information released then showed a deficit of more than EUR806,000 as a going concern, and one of EUR7 million if wound up.
Higher feed costs, bird flu and cheap South American and Far East imports are being blamed for the firm's reported demise.
Yesterday, hundreds of farmers, suppliers and workers staged a special rally to underline their fears for the future as the family-run firm faces a looming liquidation deadline.
Pilgrim's Pride Makes Two More Plants Idle
Pilgrim's Pride Corporation announced Monday that it will make idle its chicken processing plant in Clinton, Arkansas and its further-processing facility in Bossier City, Louisiana.
Both moves, which are expected to be completed within 60 days, are part of the company's ongoing effort to operate more efficiently and return to profitability amid high feed costs and an oversupply of chicken on the market.
Pilgrim's Pride plans to keep both plants idle until it believes that industry margins can be sustained at more normalized levels of profitability should these or our other production cutbacks be reversed.
The idling of the two plants will eliminate a total of approximately 600 positions. Pilgrim's Pride will provide transition programs to employees whose positions are eliminated to assist them in securing new employment, filing for unemployment and obtaining other applicable benefits.
The company attributed today's announcement to the continued imbalance in supply and demand in the US chicken industry, which has led to market prices for breast meat that are unusually weak for the peak summer grilling season. Market pricing for breast meat is currently at $1.33 per pound, well below the prior five-year average for August of approximately $1.63 per pound, and significantly below the average price of more than $1.80 just four years ago.
"Over the past six months, Pilgrim's Pride has taken a number of proactive steps to strengthen our competitive position amid a very difficult operating environment," said Clint Rivers, president and chief executive officer.
"These steps include the production cutbacks for the second half of fiscal 2008, the closure of a plant in North Carolina and seven distribution centers, and the consolidation of our tray-pack operations in El Dorado, Ark., to six other case-ready sites. Those changes, when combined with today's announcement, will result in the elimination of nearly 2,300 positions.
"With Labor Day approaching and no indication that the actions taken to date by Pilgrim's Pride or other industry members are having a positive effect on selling prices for our products, it is now clear that more significant, decisive action is necessary.
"In addition, EPA's disappointing decision to reject the request for a partial waiver of the 2008 Renewable Fuel Standard for corn-based ethanol assures that high grain prices are here to stay for the foreseeable future.
Sainsbury's higher welfare chicken sales up 60pc
Farmer's Guardian -- DESPITE concerns over reduced consumer spending, free-range chicken sales have continued to grow on the back of high profile celebrity campaigns earlier this year.
Supermarket giant Sainsbury's has recorded a 60 per cent growth in higher welfare chicken and this week more than doubled its range to meet the growing demand.
The new poultry range will meet Freedom Food standards, and the supermarket expects sales to grow even further in the coming months.
The figures will come as a boost to celebrity chefs Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall whose high profile campaigns in January led to the retailer committing to phasing out standard chicken and switching to Freedom Food as its minimum requirement.
Judith Batchelar, director of Sainsbury’s brand said: “When we met Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall last year we said that Sainsbury’s would do everything it could to improve chicken welfare while providing our customers with choice and good value.
“We knew that higher welfare chicken sales would go up following the Channel 4 food series in January, however we are thrilled to see that customers have continued to buy chicken reared to higher standards.
“It demonstrates the strength of feeling for animal welfare issues and that with greater availability of affordable options our customers don’t have to compromise.”
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall said: “Sainsbury’s commitment to upgrade the minimum welfare standards of all their fresh chicken to the RSPCA welfare standards over the coming years will improve the lives of millions of British chickens, and this new initiative is clearly the first major step along that road. I welcome it wholeheartedly.”
"I'd never do anything to hurt my chickens" - Quote of the Day?
Chicken farmer Terry Millard vigorously denied mistreating his birds last night as the RSPCA suspended his Somerset farm from its Freedom Food scheme.
The animal welfare charity said it had taken the action following an undercover investigation by animal rights activists.
It said Double Gate Farm would be suspended from the scheme - a labelling system dedicated to improving farm animal welfare - until the RSPCA had completed its own investigation.
Full story: I feel like chicken tonight
Chinese Chicken Retailers Threaten To Quit En-Masse
CHINA - Poultry traders have said they are considering getting a one-off compensation from the government and quitting the business for good.
China Daily reports that the traders also hinted at a protest during the Olympics if the government did not meet their demand for compensation soon enough.
The Panel on Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene held a special meeting at the Legislative Council on 16 June to discuss the discovery of H5N1 bird flu virus at wet markets last week.
At the meeting, chairman of the Hong Kong Poultry Wholesalers and Retailers Association Steven Wong Wai-chuen said "Everyone in the trade will quit" if the government insists on implementing daily cleansing at markets as they simply cannot bear the loss that the policy will incur.
Although there are still chickens available at local farms, he noted that the chickens will be 'worthless' without the retailers.
"If we [the retailers] quit, the farms will be forced to close down as well," he said.
"The sooner the government gives us the compensation, the sooner we will return the retail licenses and quit," he said, citing he did not want the issue to drag on.
Meanwhile, he hinted that they may protest during the Olympic equestrian events if the issue is still not settled then.
The retailers are asking for a compensation eight times the compensation currently given to vendors who voluntarily surrender their licences.
At the same meeting, representatives of the poultry industry said they have been struggling financially since the sale of live chickens was suspended last Wednesday.
They asked the government to think of a long-term policy for the survival of the trade.
Meanwhile, legislators asked the government to consider giving a one-off compensation to the trade.
Secretary for Food and Health York Chow maintained that daily cleansing, and eventually central slaughtering, are the most effective ways of controlling bird flu in Hong Kong.
"We understand the loss that these measures may incur, but if we don't make changes to the current operation, an outbreak is inevitable," he said.
"Another chicken-culling will be a great blow to the trade and society. We have to consider legislating for daily cleaning," he added.
Mr Chow noted that if the vendors insist on rejecting the daily cleansing policy, the government will consider giving them compensation to end their businesses.
Meantime, he said chickens in local farms may have to be culled since all wet markets have been declared infected areas.
The government is expected to reach a decision this week, he said.
TV chef to put his chicken welfare concerns to Tesco shareholders
FWi -- TV celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall has successfully raised the £86,888 which will allow him to table a resolution at the up coming Tesco AGM, calling on the retail chain to stop selling conventionally reared chicken in its stores.
The TV chef bought a share in Tesco earlier this year, giving him the right to put a resolution to the company's AGM in Birmingham on 27 June.
However, Tesco requested the sum in order to pay for the distribution of Mr Fearnley Whittingstall's resolution, supporting statement and proxy voter forms to approximately 269,000 Tesco shareholders.
His resolution calls on Britain's biggest supermarket to upgrade its poultry welfare standards so that it is in line with their stated claim to endorse the Five Freedoms as set down by the Farm Animal Welfare Council.
In practice this would be achievable by a commitment to upgrading their poultry to at least the RSPCA Freedom Foods production system which, although indoor-reared, uses slower growing breeds, a lower stocking density and environmental enrichment to allow chickens to express natural behaviour.
Mr Fearnley Whittingstall auctioned himself and his services and also pledged £30,000 of his own money, and received a generous donation together with technical and fund raising assistance from the charity Compassion in World Farming (CIWF).
I'm really relieved and hugely grateful to everyone who has shown their support by donating through Compassion, and by bidding for my services, he said.
This is not just about animal welfare, it also raises the question of how huge public corporations communicate with and hold themselves accountable to, their shareholders and customers.
Mr Fearnley Whittingstall added that there have been many additional pledges of support from people who have not been able to bid or donate cash but who have written to Tesco expressing their support for his resolution.
Tesco want TV chef Hugh FW to pay them 86 grand
Simply to put his chicken welfare proposals to Tesco shareholders at it's AGM.
Story here
Japan Suspends Imports Of British Poultry Due To Bird Flu
TOKYO (AFP)--Japan said Wednesday it was suspending imports of poultry from Britain after a bird flu outbreak on a farm there.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said in a statement that the suspension was expected to be a temporary measure aimed at reducing the risk of fresh bird flu outbreaks in Japan.
The move came a day after the British authorities confirmed that avian influenza had been discovered in chickens in southern England, although it was not the virulent H5N1 strain that sometimes claims human lives.
Preliminary tests were positive for the H7 strain, which poses a low risk to humans, the British Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said in a statement posted on its Web site.
All birds on the premises where the virus was detected will be slaughtered, it added.
It is not the first time Japan has suspended imports of British poultry due to concerns about bird flu. The last time was in November. That suspension was only lifted last month.
NFU calls for fairer margins for poultry farmers
FWi--Shoppers want to buy British chicken, but producers need to receive a fair price to ensure they can meet the demand in the long term, according to the NFU.
As poultry producers gathered today on the first day of the British Pig and Poultry Fair at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, NFU poultry board chairman Charles Bourns said that more money needed to be passed back down the supply chain to safeguard the sector's future.
Production costs in the chicken meat sector have risen by nearly 25% (14p/kg liveweight) in the past year, but producers are not receiving enough money back to cover their costs. A survey carried out by the NFU revealed that, on average, producers are making a loss of 2.7% on every bird they produce once production costs are added in.
Mr Bourns added: A recent British Marketing Survey showed consumers are still actively seeking to buy assured British chicken, but we need to ensure enough money is passed back down the supply chain to make businesses economically viable in the long term.
Consumer tastes are changing and producers are ready and willing to produce what shoppers want to buy. But to be able to keep up with these changing demands, producers must receive enough money to ensure their businesses are sustainable.
It's a harsh reality of life that costs are rising, not just for producers, and everyone is finding it difficult. But producers cannot continue to absorb the cost of rising input prices without receiving a fairer return.
These are local chickens for local people
Tesco has been criticised by environmentalists for selling chicken labelled as 'local' that has actually been on a 1,000-mile round trip to be slaughtered and packaged.
The supermarket is currently stocking poultry reared on a site in North-East Scotland that is sent 499 miles to Essex to be processed before being returned to Scotland to go on sale.
According to a report by the Meat Trades Journal, chickens killed at the Grampian Country Foods slaughterhouse in Coupar Angus, Perthshire, have been shipped to Witham in south-east Essex since the nearby packaging plant in Banff, Aberdeenshire shut down last year.
The supermarket has defended its actions however by saying that it didn't have any option. It would not comment on how many chickens were being sent to Essex but said the situation would be resolved later this year.
Pullet the other one Tesco, how long are you going to capon doing these sort of things?
