Name

Jason Gittins

Location

Welshpool, Powys

Key Specialism

Livestock

Sector

  • Poultry meat and eggs

Why are you an effective Advisor?

  • Jason has nearly 40 years of experience in the poultry sector and has built vast expertise working with a wide range of clients including farmers, corporate companies and banks, trade and representative bodies and government departments and agencies.
  • He has a detailed understanding of commercial poultry production throughout the UK and he currently leads ADAS consultancy inputs to this sector, working with a small team of poultry specialists. 
  • He has worked on poultry projects at EU level for the European Commission and has also provided consultancy in a range of non-EU countries in Eastern Europe. This means that he has a detailed understanding of the poultry sector and the opportunities, issues and challenges it faces.
  • Jason’s key expertise includes poultry production, animal welfare, costs of production, environmental issues and food safety and he is therefore ideally placed to provide comprehensive and ‘joined-up’ consultancy to clients. He has worked mainly in the egg production and chicken meat sectors but has also had involvement in turkey and duck production. 
  • Jason is experienced in developing protocols for poultry farm trials, for overseeing the work and reporting the results. He places emphasis on regular communication with all parties involved so that the work proceeds as planned and without delay. 
  • Jason is a highly experienced report writer, he is able to convey key messages and complex information to clients in an easy-to-understand way with emphasis on recommendations and impacts. This ensures an effective approach and that clients can act upon the consultancy provided.
  • Jason has many years’ experience of arranging, speaking at and chairing meetings for poultry farmers and others, based on his experience and knowledge of the sector. In smaller group meetings, Jason can facilitate discussion so that farmers are able to share and actively contribute to knowledge exchange. 

Qualifications/Achievements/Experience

  • Jason has a BSc in agricultural science and has worked for ADAS as a consultant, senior consultant, team manager and technical director for livestock for nearly 40 years.
  • He is a member of the World’s Poultry Science Association and is the UK delegate for Working Group 1 (Economics and Marketing Committee). 
  • He currently manages ADAS work in the poultry sector and is involved in preparing poultry rate cards for Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. These are used by government for compensation purposes in the event of avian influenza outbreaks. 
  • Jason has worked directly for the European Commission and for EFSA as an expert on egg washing and has worked on poultry consultancy projects in countries that include Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan. 
     

Top Tip/Quote

“The poultry sector is a highly efficient and important part of agriculture. For the future, the emphasis must be on providing good food whilst maintaining high standards of animal welfare and minimising environmental impacts. ”