By Mark Williams, chief executive, British Egg Industry Council
As in previous editions of my column I have updated readers on the situation with Avian Influenza (AI). We expected a ‘long tail’ of AI cases throughout the spring and even summer period, but we were not expecting for the virus to remain well into autumn. The situation is such that the chief veterinary officers (CVOs) of England, Scotland, and Wales have declared an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) across GB to mitigate the risk of the disease spreading amongst poultry and captive birds.
Since 17 October, it has been a legal requirement for all bird keepers in England, Scotland, and Wales to follow strict biosecurity measures to protect their flocks from AI. An AIPZ has also been declared by DAERA in Northern Ireland with similar requirements.
It would be fair to say that with this particular H5N1 HPAI virus, less virus is needed to cause greater infection. Indeed, the so-called ‘peacetime’ did not materialise this summer, due to the weight of infection in the environment. The record-breaking high temperatures we experienced in summer did not stop or slow the spread of the virus. The evidence also suggests that the virus is particularly virulent among sea bird species, and bird keepers around coastal areas were asked to be particularly vigilant.
Everyone in the industry is urged to maintain the highest standards of biosecurity, which is the first and most crucial line of defence against diseases such as AI, and the key to preventing its introduction to your farm.
After conferring with different sectors of the industry, from 1 October an amended biosecurity section was introduced into the Lion Code of Practice. You should have received this directly from BEIC. This has been audited to since 17 October. The amendments have sought to find a balance between the dire economic conditions at this time, with the need to increase biosecurity barriers still further.
I understand the difficulty free range producers are facing. Over the last 12 months there have been the challenges of a new virus, infected flocks, and the difficulty in obtaining insurance. Where insurance has been offered, it is with an increased premium with less cover; and all this as the Autumn wild bird migration season is underway.
In August, the European Commission came forward with a proposal to amend the egg marketing legislation, by removing reference to the 16-week period, instead effectively leaving it to the CVO in each member state to determine if hens have to be housed. This was immediately communicated to our government and whilst they do not want to follow EU law per se, they know legislation cannot be too non-aligned due to the potential for trade barriers to be put in place on exports. On this issue, our government will amend the legislation, but does not have enough parliamentary time to do so as we enter this AI season and any potential housing order. BEIC is currently considering the options which are available, both short-term and longer-term.
Also in Brussels, the European Commission is looking at the advantages of a vaccine, and the BEIC is working both here and across Europe to contribute to the discussion. The BEIC is supportive of vaccination in principle and continues to look at the issue with an open mind, carefully weighing up the benefits against any potential disadvantages. Issues to be addressed include: the need for effective vaccines that can be easily administered; the introduction of a proper surveillance programme to ensure that there is no underlying infection; and ensuring that our trading partners have confidence in such a programme to avoid putting barriers in place on our exports. We must also look at the devolved governments of the UK and where each of the administrations across GB and NI will stand. We cannot have a situation where the integrity of the UK ‘single market’ is put in jeopardy, any more than it already is with NI, due to differing policies on vaccination.
Moving on to Ukraine, the grain corridor is still holding up, but this is only guaranteed until mid-November. The current Ukrainian production percentages are still unknown, but, ironically, Russia grain production is at an all-time high. However, the war has not shown any signs of abating and there seems to be little prospect of entertaining negotiations between the two sides. Ukraine has taken back control of many areas in Eastern Ukraine, that Russia recently annexed, but Russia seems to be pushing back with a full mobilisation of troops to Ukraine. This cannot be good news for anyone in Europe, or indeed around the world.
Turning to domestic politics, further changes at Defra have taken place. Of note, Lord Goldsmith has been sacked as environmental minister as part of the cabinet reshuffle. Lord Goldsmith, who was heavily focused on animal welfare and often came into conflict with representatives of many sectors of farming and agriculture was a close ally of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and a friend of his wife Carrie Johnson. Carrie Johnson, also for a time was a prominent animal rights activist within the Conservatives. Zac Goldsmith’s brother, Ben Goldsmith, who sat on the management board of Defra, has also gone, not long after he caused outrage among many Conservative MPs and members of the farming community for his open support of the activities of groups such as Extinction Rebellion.
Other changes include: the Secretary of State, George Eustice was replaced by Ranil Jayawardena MP, since replaced with Therese Coffey MP. Mark Spencer MP has been made the Minister of State for Farming. News of his appointment has been cordially received by many in agriculture given his own background and familiarity with farming. Steve Double MP was briefly appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary for a matter of weeks, only to be replaced by Trudy Harrison MP. Lord Benyon has kept his role as Under-Secretary and will carry on the work of Defra in the House of Lords. Scott Mann MP has been appointed as Parliamentary Under-Secretary with responsibility for animal welfare and economic growth.