Vigilance is key in AI fight, Producers told
Poultry producers from across the east of England and beyond met at Peterborough yesterday (Monday 24 October) to gather vital information and guidance on Avian Influenza (AI) at an NFU-organised event. More than 90 producers attended the event at the East of England Showground to hear about contingency plans should the disease reach the UK.
Speakers from Defra, the Health Protection Agency, NFU and a private veterinary surgeon provided producers with the background and current situation on AI. Defra's deputy head of exotic disease prevention and control, Dr Graham Lewis, spoke about the international and national perspectives, whilst Sarah Gordon, Defra's divisional veterinary manager covering Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and East Yorkshire, provided details of the contingency plan and how this would operate on the ground, locally.
"Speaking to producers after the conference, we found that they were pleased with the detailed information they received," said East Midlands NFU's food and farming adviser, Carol Puddephatt, who organised the conference. "Defra's main messages were to ensure high standards of bio-security and to monitor flocks for signs of disease at all times. Producers are also urged to do their own risk assessments for their farms so that they have measures in place to keep the risk of infection to a minimum and, for example, keep sites clean and tidy at all times; these are simple steps for every producer to take."
Carol Puddephatt added: "To some extent, producers were seeking reassurance that the contingency plans were in place to deal with an outbreak in the domestic poultry flock, but the opportunity to question Defra officials about the protection and surveillance measures in place, also helped. NFU has been involved in drawing up the national contingency plan with Defra and other poultry industry organisations. There are still a couple of points we need to iron out with Defra but overall we are happy that the contingency plans will work if there is a need to put them into practice.
"One issue we are keen to resolve is the status of free range birds which have to be housed because of the risk of infection. NFU and other poultry organisations have discussed the issue of retaining free range status for both laying hens and broiler chickens that have to be housed and whether they will maintain their free range status. We hope that Defra will make a decision on this very soon.
"The issue that arose most in the question and answer session was the location and number of small "back yard" poultry keepers. Commercial producers are known to Defra, but people keeping a few hens in their gardens do not have to be registered. NFU is seeking reassurances from Defra that they will put in place a poultry keepers' register, in the first instance just so that these people can be contacted and given advice and guidance, just like our farmers."
Information on the symptoms and signs of infection, how a disease outbreak would be dealt with and how producers can prepare for avian influenza, if it comes to the UK, were key messages at the conference.
