Animal Welfare

An alternative: „Red Master” programme in Hungary

Besides fulfilling consumer’s demand for quality products, free-ranging poultry production programmes are meeting the need for environmentally friendly and ecological farming. This fits well with the general policydirection preferred by the EU. These programmes are primarily low capital and resource input, but labour intensive, and so contribute to sustainability (as regards employment and fulfilling a social function, as well as resource-wise).

Because of the increased concentration of the Hungarian poultry industry, using traditional, small-sized poultry-houses is already not economically effective. But it could cost disproportionately more to renovate them. The free range poultry programme uses these houses and the land around them. Reconstruction in order to start the programme costs relatively little, significant capital is not needed. The Red Master housing regime is based on the successful French Label Rouge system.
The farmer can produce the required fodder (75 % cereal – maize, wheat) in his own land.
Free-ranging could be carried out in the region of the country where it is traditional; the territory is less usable for agricultural cultivation and where the employment and the GDP rate is the lowest.

The Society of the Hungarian Free Ranging Poultry Producers was established in 2001. In 2003, almost half a million traditionally free-range chickens will be consumed. According to a survey, in the next 2-3 years, 2-2,5 % (3,5 million broilers/year) of the Hungarian chicken consumed could be from the Red Master system, a quantity which could be enough to survivelive on the Hungarian market in the longer-term. The President of the Society emphasized: „We believe in the program, we saw the danger ahead for the industrial broilers at the time of EU accession. The Red Master programme is our chance to survive. Whoever chooses to be our partner in the programme, can also have a chance to survive”. (Hungarian Poultry Science, 2002)

Year 2005 was successful for the free-ranging chicken sector. Because of avian flu hysteria, 10-50% reduction in meat consuming was happened in several chicken types. At the same time, free range chicken meat consuming was increased by 20%. Consumers trust in products which has good quality, are traceable, and have unique package.

In 2005, 1.35 million heads Red Master chicken was slaughtered which equals to 2550 ton. The share of Red Master from the total broiler production was 1.1-1.2%. Because of increasing demand both in domestic and foreign market, this share is estimated to be 1.5-2% in 2006.

The Master Good group of companies own 2 food-processing factories, 2 animal breeding farms and 1 service company with 1.100 employees. The turnover in 2005 was 17 billion HUF, profit-sales ratio was 400-500 million HUF.

(Hungarian Poultry Sector, 2006/1)

Read more at: www.mastergood.hu