An Essex-based, free-range turkey producer has said that the ongoing avian influenza or ‘bird-flu’ outbreaks could sound the death knell for seasonal poultry production in England.
Responding to questions from the BBC regarding a relaxation of rules, which would allow the freezing of fresh birds for the Christmas market, Paul Kelly confirmed that a number of free-range turkey farmers in East Anglia had already gone out of business.
He welcomed the UK government’s decision to allow the freezing of ‘fresh birds’ with immediate effect.
However, it is a development that will result in lighter weights when these turkeys reach Christmas dinner tables.
Spread of bird flu
According to Kelly, the current variant of bird flu has won the battle regarding the current containment and slaughtering-out policy.
He now wants to see the government pushing forward on two fronts: The development of an effective vaccine; and the introduction of more effective compensation measures.
Currently it can take a number of days before a bird flu outbreak can be confirmed. In the meantime, large numbers of infected birds will die.
At the present time, UK regulations only deliver support measures, based on the number of live birds actually culled.
Kelly wants these criteria backdated to the day on which the farmer first notifies the authorities of a problem arising.
Vaccine
Kelly is strongly of the view that, without an effective vaccine, the poultry sector will not be able to fight bird flu viruses – now and into the future.
The poultry producer also points to the fact that geese and ducks are also in the firing line, where the current avia influenza threat is concerned.
Significantly, he believes that there will be sufficient ‘standard turkeys’ to meet the fresh Christmas demand of 2022. The current problems are centred on the exposure of free-range producers to the threat of the virus.
The Essex farmer characterised the current strain of bird flu as the most pathogenic of its kind ever to enter the UK.
Seagulls are the main carriers of the disease, which can spread through an infected flock within a few days.
Unless UK government policy is changed, Kelly is predicting a rapid decline of the free-range poultry sector in England. Taking the biggest hit would be small, family-owned farms, many of which are already finding it very difficult to cope with the losses already incurred.
The current bird flu outbreaks have been centred on Cambridge and Suffolk. However, there are indications that the virus is now spreading towards Lincolnshire.
