NFU has recently promoted a training programme aimed at helping commercial egg producers in the Cheshire area increase their production and profitability.

The programme is run at Reaseheath College, Nantwich by the college's Enterprise Delivery Hub and is aimed at giving producers skills which are directly applicable to their own businesses. It is run over six half-day sessions by Alastair Johnston from the Minster Veterinary Practice who are the national specialists in poultry health.

The training is delivered through a mixture of seminars and laboratory practicals with the topics including the recognition, treatment and prevention of disease, biosecurity, welfare and legislation. The programme has attracted many commercial producers from throughout Cheshire and has been specifically designed to be applicable to free-range industry.

Egg producers who attend the course receive a certificate as evidence of their training. Such evidence will be a future requirement for producing birds under award schemes such as Freedom Foods. Interest in the training has been so high that there are plans to repeat the full programme later in the year. There are also follow-on sessions in development to cover humane slaughter, housing and ventilation, egg production and enriched colony systems.

NFU Food and Farming Adviser, Aarun Naik, commented: "It's great to see that such training is available for egg producers in Cheshire. I'm pleased to hear it's being taken up by those looking to enter the egg sector as well as businesses that have been established for some time but have not yet had the opportunity to undertake specific training.

"The NFU wants to ensure that farming in Cheshire and the North West is a dynamic and progressive industry with an image to match. Skills and training investment are fundamental in helping business achieve the productivity, innovation and profitability needed to compete effectively. A sustainable agricultural industry will only be achieved with a highly skilled, motivated and dynamic workforce," he added.