While there may now be some light on the horizon, the Republic of Ireland’s poultry industry has been hit particularly hard over recent years, registering little or no profit since the start of the economic crisis in 2007-08.

The happy egg co., a free-range brand of the U.K.’s egg and dessert business Noble Foods, has achieved considerable impact on its home market since it was launched in 2009. The brand’s success now appears to be replicated by Noble overseas. 

Over the past seven years, chicken has overtaken beef, veal, lamb and pork as the most popular choice of meat for Australians.The chicken meat industry has grown by 4 percent annually over the past decade and now accounts for 25 percent of the meat produced in Australia.

Ben Wharfe's family have farmed near Knutsford in Cheshire, U.K., for three generations, but egg production is a new direction. As an egg producer, Wharfe has, however, followed in his father's philosophy of using sustainable farming methods to help him build a successful free range egg business, and was recently named Free Range Egg Producer of the Year in the British Free Range Egg Producer Awards.

New ways to ensure the sustainability of modern poultry and pig production will be the focus of a £10 million (US$13.7 million) European Union (EU) research project. Known as Prohealth, the initiative has been awarded the EU's largest grant ever in the field of animal health.New ways to ensure the sustainability of modern poultry and pig production will be the focus of a £10 million (US$13.7 million) European Union (EU) research project. Known as Prohealth, the initiative has been awarded the EU's largest grant ever in the field of animal health.

Broiler meat production in the UK grew by 4 percent lastyear to reach 1.372 million metric tons. Yet UK poultry producers faced manychallenges in 2013, most significantly periods of financial losses, as theywere not always able to achieve the price increases needed to cover productionand feed costs. 

Cargill UK is investing GBP35 million (US$56.3 million) in its main poultry processing plant, to make it one of the most efficient in Europe. Using the latest technology, the Herefordshire site will build a new chiller and expand the current hatchery.