The popularity of poultry meat continues to grow among consumers, while most types of red meat have experienced reductions in sales in the British retail market in the past 12 months.

Figures from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) show that poultry meat sales this year have increased by 6.2% compared with 2016, and by 12.3% compared with 2013. This compares with red meat sales which have dropped by 1.7% in the last year, and by 6.2% compared with 2013.

Lamb has experienced the sharpest drop in British retail sales, down 9.7% over the last year and 16.4% compared with 2013. However, beef has bucked the trend among red meats with sales increasing by 2% in the last 12 months, although there is still a 2.1% reduction compared with 2013.

Presenting the figures at the annual Barnett-Hall conference in Maynooth, Co Kildare, last week, AHDB pork strategy director Mick Sloyan said that price and appearance are the two main factors influencing consumers.

He quoted survey results which showed that British consumers rate beef highest for taste, but chicken comes out top for versatility and ease of cooking. He said that consumers want meals that can be cooked quickly, but are also healthy. “They want convenient food, but not convenience food,” Sloyan said.

Brexit solutions

During his address, Sloyan also maintained that the agri-food industry needs to lead the way with solutions on how trade across the Irish border could work after Brexit. “There are people in this room that know more about trade logistics than any civil servant in Belfast. You can wait for things to happen, or you can try to influence what happens,” he said.

In terms of the importance of direct payments to farmers across the UK, he pointed out that most beef and sheep farmers lose money from their farming activities. “They stay in business due to EU direct payments or diversification income,” he said.

However, he added that taxpayers need to be convinced that farm subsidies are good value for money as many question large payments going to already wealthy landowners in Britain.

Sloyan also dismissed the idea that Brexit will allow a reduction in regulations and red tape for UK farmers. “I think it will be tape of a slightly different colour,” he said.

Russian expansion drives grain oversupply

Wheat production in Russia has increased by 80% in the past five years and has been a major factor in the continued surplus in world grain markets, grain traders were told at last week’s Barnett-Hall conference.

In his annual presentation at the event, Dan Basse, president of Chicago-based research firm AgResource, said that grain markets remain oversupplied and although demand is increasing, it is not enough to significantly alter the supply-demand imbalance. However, he suggested there would be no further downward movement in grain markets and pointed out that climate has become more unpredictable, and that a weather event could reduce supply. “There could be weather scares in South America, Russia or the Black Sea. Russia has never had eight good years in a row,” he said.

This is significant because Russian-based grain sales specialist Richard Valentine Willows said that favourable weather for the past seven years, along with increased acreage, has led to the sharp increase in Russian grain output. “Since 2010, weather has been fantastic, it has made the biggest difference,” he told delegates.

Russia is responsible for 21% of world wheat exports and both speakers said that Russian exports of 42m tonnes were now at their upper limit due to limitations with transport infrastructure, particularly at ports and railways.

Food supply

Basse said that there has never been a point in history when the world has produced as much food.

“The only way farmers will not farm is if someone pays them not to.

‘‘Not one Government today has a programme to set aside land, which probably needs to happen,” he said.

He maintained that the next significant upward lift in agricultural markets would come from increases in population size and affluence in Asian countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Vietnam.

However, he said that growth in the Chinese market is slowing as the average daily calorie intake in China is currently 3,000, just 400 behind developed regions such as the US and EU.

Read more from Dan Basse on pages 46-47.