NFU says ageing poultry sheds are holding back UK production

Britain’s poultry sector risks falling behind demand for chicken unless planning rules are overhauled and ageing poultry sheds are replaced, the NFU has warned.

The union said excessive planning delays, inconsistent local authority decisions and mounting barriers to development were preventing producers from modernising poultry units and expanding capacity.

The NFU estimates that more than 1,000 new poultry sheds will need to be built to keep pace with rising demand for British chicken.

Its latest survey also revealed that 15% of broiler sheds still in use are more than 50 years old.

The warning coincides with the launch of the NFU’s new #LoveBritishChicken campaign, aimed at encouraging shoppers to support home-produced poultry and highlighting the importance of the UK chicken sector.

According to the union’s latest broiler shed survey, the average UK broiler house is now 31 years old.

The survey, carried out between February and April 2025, gathered data from more than 5,000 poultry houses covering 7.2 million square metres of productive floor space — making it the largest survey of its kind conducted by the NFU.

The findings showed little improvement since the union’s 2014 survey, despite growing pressure on producers to modernise housing and improve efficiency.

More than half of broiler sheds surveyed were at least 25 years old, while 43% were more than 30 years old.

The NFU warned that failure to modernise domestic production could leave the UK increasingly reliant on imported poultry products.

The union said ageing poultry housing was becoming increasingly difficult to adapt to modern welfare, ventilation and environmental standards.

Older units can also be more expensive to heat, ventilate and modernise, adding further pressure to producers already facing rising costs.

Applications for new poultry buildings can also face lengthy planning processes, environmental assessments and local opposition, creating further obstacles to investment.

The newest poultry sheds were found in Northern Ireland, while Scotland had the oldest housing stock by a considerable margin.

Within England, poultry housing in the east of the country was notably older than sheds in the north, south or Midlands.

The NFU also found that only 17.4% of poultry houses had undergone major refurbishment during their lifetime.

Remarkably, 7% of sheds currently in use had not received significant refurbishment work since being built more than 50 years ago.

NFU Poultry Board chair Will Raw said producers were ready to invest in modern facilities and improved technology but were being held back by delays within the planning system.

“British poultry farmers have a fantastic story to tell,” he said.

“We operate to some of the highest animal welfare and environmental standards in the world.”

Raw said blocked or delayed planning applications were restricting investment and slowing progress across the industry.

“When applications are in limbo or we are blocked from building new poultry housing – or upgrading ventilation and windows in older units—it stymies growth and directly harms on-farm innovation and efficiency,” he said.

The NFU said more than 1,000 new sheds would be needed if domestic production was to keep pace with future demand.

“Without urgent change, we risk displacing British production with chicken produced overseas - from countries where food is allowed to be produced in ways that are illegal here,” Raw said.

The union is calling for a modern national planning framework that would support investment in poultry housing, upgraded technology and more efficient production systems.

The NFU said modern facilities would help improve welfare standards, reduce environmental impacts and strengthen long-term business resilience.

Chicken remains the UK’s most popular meat because of its affordability, versatility and nutritional value, according to the organisation.

As part of the #LoveBritishChicken campaign, promotional stickers will appear on 500,000 packs of chicken sold in Morrisons stores.

Raw said the campaign was intended to highlight the standards and dedication behind British poultry farming.

“British chicken is nutritious, versatile and produced to world-leading standards and every time shoppers choose British, they are backing a sustainable future for UK poultry farming,” he said.

The NFU said urgent planning reform and investment would be critical if British poultry producers were to meet future demand while maintaining high welfare and environmental standards.