The NFU has been working with the government and industry to find a solution due to concerns that migrant seasonal poultry workers are facing travel restrictions this year due to coronavirus. Following extensive lobbying and a detailed submission of evidence from the NFU the government have announced an exemption to allow seasonal poultry workers to travel to the UK without facing full travel restrictions.  Read more about this exemption for seasonal poultry workers here...

An Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) has been introduced across the whole of Great Britain, the Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss confirmed on 11 November 2020 after further cases of the disease were found in wild birds.  The AIPZ will legally require all bird keepers in England, Scotland and Wales to follow strict biosecurity measures, introduced to prevent further spread of Avian Influenza.  Read more here...

The NFU has published guidance for seasonal turkey members on Covid-19 restrictions. Find out how to make your seasonal turkey business COVID-secure, including guidance on social distancing, poultry processing, and managing farmgate collections.  NFU members can access the guidance here...

Chris Rumming of Lydiard Turkeys rears around 500 free range bronze turkeys each year and for the first time ever, he has been running a fortnightly pop-up farm shop on his mixed farm near Swindon in Wiltshire. Here Chris shares his top tips for managing the general public on farm and looks ahead to what Christmas 2020 will look like for Lydiard Turkeys. Read Chris's blog here...

The NFU's #BuyMyTurkey campaign returns for another year on 4 December and we want you to get involved. To help raise the profile of the campaign and encourage the public to use the Turkey Finder we are asking both NFU members and the wider public to post across social media using the hashtag #BuyMyTurkey on Friday 4 December. Read more about how to get involved here...

The NFU's annual turkey marketing meeting went virtual for 2020, with around 100 people tuning in for an informative programme of presentations. Proceedings were led by the NFU turkey group chairman, Michael Bailey, and four speakers covered a number of topics including cost of production, marketing insights and an update on the feed market. An overview of the meeting including the cost of production table is available online including for members only, a recording of the presentations is available here...

The NFU Turkey Finder has had a revamp for 2020 and now includes an interactive map to make it even easier for users to locate their nearest turkey producer. Have a look at the new and improved postcode search tool on the NFU Countryside website here.

Need to add or change your details? Send an email to [email protected] with your name, membership number and company contact details.

Order your NFU-branded turkey merchandise for the Christmas season while stocks last. From branded boxes, labels and tags, to pop-up thermometers and a leaflet with full instructions on how to store, prepare and cook a Christmas turkey, our online shop is filled with quality packaging and useful items that can be given to the customer when they collect their order.  NFU members receive 15% discount on all products and 50% off postage so order now whilst stocks last.

Don't forget, as an NFU member you can request free Christmas Dinner promotional images from the NFU image library.  There are seven high quality images available for you to use to market your products this festive season.  Browse the images and request yours here... 

From 1 January 2021, Certificates of Competence (CoC) or Welfare of Animals at Time of Killing (WATOK) licences issued in the EU will no longer be valid for slaughterers working in the UK. Poultry producers should consider using this year’s Christmas processing operation to get any staff members currently covered by an EU-issued WATOK or CoC who are likely to return next year assessed by an APHA vet this year, so that they can apply for a UK-issued WATOK or CoC in time for Christmas 2021.  Read more here...