Half of Britain’s free-range Christmas turkeys have been impacted by avian influenza (bird flu), the chief executive of the British Poultry Council (BPC) Richard Griffiths has said.
Speaking at a meeting of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs committee yesterday (Tuesday, November 29), Griffiths said that bird flu poses a significant threat to the ability of poultry businesses to provide food for the nation.
The chief executive reported to the committee that over a million birds, and half of free-range Christmas turkeys, have been affected during this current outbreak, which is the largest in the UK’s history.
“The scale of this outbreak is unlike anything we have seen before. Its intensity poses a risk to UK food producers, and our food supply,” Griffiths said.
“Risk must be expanded to include commercial viability. The conditions of this outbreak are unlike anything we have seen before.
“More farms have been affected and because of that, the concept of ‘risk’ has changed. Contingency plans and measures must reflect that change.
“This is about our businesses, and ultimately our food security. We have to be able to feed ourselves.”
BPC member and turkey farmer, Paul Kelly, said that without a vaccine or a compensation scheme that is fit for purpose, farmers are less likely to take the risk of growing poultry.
The challenges posed by bird flu, Kelly said, are exacerbating existing pressures deriving from Brexit, inflation and ongoing labour shortages.
“Production costs have increased up to 18%,” he explained.
Bird flu in the UK
There have been 137 confirmed cases of the highly pathogenic disease in the UK since October 1, 2022.
The locations of the outbreaks:
- 124 cases in England;
- Nine cases in Scotland;
- Three cases in Wales;
- One case in Northern Ireland.
There have been 257 cases in total since the H5N1 outbreak of the disease began back in October of 2021.
On Monday (November 28), mandatory housing measures for all kept birds and poultry came into force in Northern Ireland and Wales to help stop the spread of the disease.
A housing order came into effect in England on Monday, November 7.
Similar measures have been called for in Scotland.
