The Game Farmers' Association
....representing the UK's game farmers & promoting high standards
Welcome to The Game
Farmers'
Association
The Game Farmers' Association (GFA) is a trade organisation dedicated to the production of quality gamebirds for the UK shooting industry.
Many shoots in Britain rely on
hand-reared gamebirds, released into the countryside during the summer to supplement the wild stocks before the winter shooting season begins. Good game farming ensures that these birds, mostly pheasant and partridge, are strong, fit and ready for the natural environment in which they will live.
Most game farmers in Britain are members of the GFA and the Association represents their interests, as well as encouraging everyone who rears game to follow high standards.
Some of our most important work has been to secure near-identical yet practical Game Rearing Codes for England, Scotland and Wales. These ensure that game farming is officially recognised by Government and is always carried out to a high welfare standard, backed by the force
of law.
Latest News & Information
Gamebird release safe for 2020 after Wild Justice abandon application to fast-track legal challenge
The releasing of gamebirds this year will not be affected by court action after Wild Justice pulled back from asking for their legal challenge to be speeded up. Wild Justice has conceded that ... read more
Game Farmers’ Association Update Covid-19 - A message from our Chairman
Dear GFA Members As we all battle with the challenges posed by Covid-19, I wanted to send you an update. The GFA Committee met yesterday via a 90-minute telephone conference call. We ... read more
Shooting organisations unite for legal battle
Four leading shooting organisations have joined forces to help fight Wild Justice’s latest judicial review against Defra on the legality of releasing gamebirds over designated sites. Th ... read more
Gamebird Sector Calls for Further Reductions in Antibiotic Use
Organisations representing the gamebird rearing sector have called for a big push to further reduce the use of antibiotics in 2020, despite having already almost halved use overall since 2016. ... read more
Low Pathogenic H5 Bird Flu found on poultry unit in Suffolk
We have just been alerted by Defra to the confirmation of Low Pathogenic H5 Bird Flu on a poultry unit in mid Suffolk. Click below for the Defra press release and the declaration and map: ... read more
Listen/watch last week's Avian Influenza Readiness Webinar
If you missed last week's Avian Influenza Readiness Webinar, organised by UK Poultry Health & Welfare Group, or if you would like to listen/watch it again, you can by using the link belo ... read more
Avian Influenza Readiness Webinar - Register Now!
UK Poultry Health & Welfare Group are delighted to announce that registration for the Avian Influenza Webinar is now open. Taking place from 3pm to 4pm on Wednesday 9 October 2019, this we ... read more
Save the Date - GFA to take part in Avian Influenza Readiness Webinar
Whatever you are planning on doing on 9 October from 15.00 - 15.30, don't forget to tune in for a special Webinar on Avaian Influenza (AI) Readiness. Charles Nodder, the GFA's Media and Polit ... read more
Leading organisations respond to Defra's new general licences
Read the latest press release below regarding the current situation on general licences. Genuine progress has been made and three new general licences released by Defra today (14 June 2 ... read more
Natural England forced into shooting licence u-turn after government reinstates original system
Defra has forced a shooting licence U-Turn after taking over from Natural England following a fiasco in which farmers were banned from protecting their land from pests. Read the article which ... read more
Anger as General Licences are Revoked Without Notice
The Game Farmers' Association is advising all members that Natural England (NE) is revoking the three main General Licences for the control throughout England of birds such as crows, magpies and woodp ... read more