Free range film gets rave reviews!

The free range DVD commissioned by BFREPA and released last month has been received enthusiastically by members.

First on the phone to order more copies was David Hugill who runs a 14,000 bird free range unit close to Middlesbrough. David was keen enough to distribute some 50 discs to a meeting of local businessmen. His only regret was that he omitted to give one to the main speaker, wheelchair Olympic athlete Tanni Grey Thompson, who will now get hers via the BFREPA website.

"Farmers are very good at talking but most of the time they are talking to other farmers," said David. "We need to be talking to people in other walks of life and getting our message across.

"This DVD does just that in 6½ minutes. It also shows the public why we are unlikely to get bird flu in this country. The public can now compare the standard of free range flocks in this country with what they see is happening in south-east Asia."

Fellow BFREPA member Robin Richardson, who farms near Thirsk in Yorkshire, was equally full of praise, commenting: "The DVD is brilliant and shows what a professional sector of agriculture we are involved in. It gently educates the public that we have to be commercial and can't unfortunately meet demand or make a living off six hens in the backyard."

The film, entitled 'Free range. An out and out success story', also earned praise from one of the UK's leading marketeers of free range eggs.

"BFREPA deserves congratulating on an excellent job," said commercial director of Stonegate, Nick Rogers. "The DVD perfectly illustrates that free range has developed into a modern and technologically-advanced sector of British agriculture while still maintaining the very highest standards of bird welfare."

And Stonegate already has plans to put the DVD to good use.

"We often take new egg buyers and supermarket technologists around farms so they can see for themselves what free range is all about," said Mr Rogers.

"But it has become difficult in light of the avian influenza risk and the tightened biosecurity on farms. The DVD will now enable us to give our guests a taste of free range without leaving the office."

Visitors to BFREPA's website—which amount to nearly 5000 a month—can now view the film on line while hard copies are available by contacting BFREPA.