BRITISH poultry producers must not be left at a competitive disadvantage by lower standard imports, the NFU told delegates at a meeting in the European Parliament.

NFU poultry board chairman Duncan Priestner told delegates at a breakfast meeting in Brussels that British consumers expected and demanded higher welfare, environmental and food safety standards – which British poultry farmers have already introduced at a cost of hundreds of millions.

But he warned that trade negotiations with the US – where minimum welfare standards are lower to those in force within Europe – could put the industry at risk from cheaper imports.

“Our consumers have high expectations, higher than many of our competitors. We are proud of our world-leading standards. However, these standards all add to cost of production and this puts us at a disadvantage to the US,” said Mr Priestner.

“We are concerned that lower standard imports could leave us on an uneven playing field and undermine our consumer’s values.

Some of the NFU’s concerns are that in 2012, the Welfare of Laying Hens Directive came in to force which banned battery cages. Producers in the UK have invested about£400m in replacing these cages with new high-welfare enriched cages that have more space, scratching pads, perches and nesting areas. At the same time, 95 per cent of eggs in the US come from conventional cage systems and it is estimated their cost of production is 25 per cent lower than the UK’s.