Bird flu forces cancellation of poultry classes at Balmoral Show

Poultry classes at one of Northern Ireland’s biggest agricultural events have been cancelled due to ongoing avian flu restrictions, in a move set to impact breeders and exhibitors.

The Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS) said it was “disappointed” to confirm the cancellation ahead of the Balmoral Show, which runs from 13 to 16 May at the Eikon Centre near Lisburn.

The decision comes amid continued uncertainty over when restrictions on bird gatherings may be lifted, with strict disease controls still in place across Northern Ireland.

Organisers said cancelling the classes was necessary to reduce the risk of infection spreading between flocks, particularly under current avian influenza rules.

Instead, a controlled display featuring birds from a single flock will be staged across the four-day event, alongside egg and decorated egg competitions.

While this allows the poultry section to remain part of the show, it removes a key opportunity for breeders to showcase stock and compete.

The move follows a suspected case of notifiable avian flu at a commercial poultry premises near Omagh earlier this month, where all birds were culled as a precaution.

That case triggered disease control measures and comes as the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) remains in force across Northern Ireland.

Under the AIPZ, it is a legal requirement for poultry and captive birds to be housed or kept separate from wild birds, with strict biosecurity measures in place.

A wider ban on gatherings involving poultry and other bird species, including chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese, also continues — directly affecting events such as Balmoral.

Despite the restrictions, officials have stressed that the risk to public health remains low.

The Public Health Agency said avian influenza is primarily a disease of birds and poses a “very low” risk to people.

The Food Standards Agency has also confirmed that properly cooked poultry products and eggs remain safe to eat.

With restrictions still in place and no clear timeline for their removal, uncertainty remains for future livestock events involving birds.