NOAH Statement on the Government's announcement about the possibility of banning battery cages for UK egg productionPhil Sketchley, chief executive of NOAH, comments that whilst we always support measures to improve aspects of animal welfare, we are concerned the plans to introduce a unilateral ban on battery cages for UK egg production would have the inevitable effect of increasing production costs. "If this is done in the UK in advance of other countries, then UK eggs would be comparatively much more expensive - leading inevitably to more imported eggs (very possibly not produced to UK's high standards) and this in turn would place severe pressure on the UK egg industry to survive. "Comparison can be made to improvements made within the UK pig industry. New regulations and standards of animal welfare have been introduced in the UK ahead of other countries. This placed the UK pig producers at a competitive disadvantage within the European markets. The British pig industry has shrunk by one third and has little prospect of any growth. It is important therefore to ensure that the UK poultry industry is not similarly disadvantaged by these new regulations in the short term."
28 June 2002 Notes for EditorsFor further information contact Phil Sketchley or Alison Glennon at NOAH, tel. +44 (0)20 8367 3131, or visit the NOAH website. The National Office of Animal Health was formed on 1 January 1986 to represent the UK companies which research, develop, manufacture and market licensed animal health products. The association has 35 corporate members and 12 associate members. In 2001 NOAH's members accounted for around 95% of the £359 million UK animal health market, with additional valuable exports.
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