Consumers in the UK have been warned they face a shortage of free-range turkeys this Christmas as the consequences of avian flu continue to cause disruption to the country’s food supply.
Speaking to a group of MPs that scrutinises the government’s policy on food, the Chief Executive of the British Poultry Council, Richard Griffiths, said that food security and business continuity must be built into the government’s response to tackling the crisis. Griffiths told the Environment Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee that “the scale of this outbreak is unlike anything we have seen before,” and that its “intensity poses a risk to food producers, and our food supply.”
1.4 Million Turkeys Culled
The government, however, has reassured the public that there is no shortage of turkey supplies.A spokesperson from the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs said, “Sadly approximately 1.4 million turkeys, some of which are free range, have been culled, but around 11 million turkeys are produced in the UK every year, meaning that there will still be a good supply of Christmas turkeys.”
The shortage is only affecting those classed as free-range and there are no concerns over supplies of other types of poultry.
The subject of safeguarding the country’s food supply chain was discussed during the hearing. Griffiths told MPs that “risk must be expanded to include commercial viability,” and that the concept of risk has changed since so many farms were involved in the crisis. Griffiths also said that poultry farmers had been so badly affected this year, that they are seriously considering the viability of supplying produce for the Christmas poultry market in future years.
Food Security
The British Poultry Council said it’s essential that the country must have healthy domestic production for food security, and warned that if the government doesn’t prioritise the impact of the avian flu outbreak there will be consequences in the food chain.Production can be impacted by several factors including mandatory culling, which requires the premises to be left empty for 12 months before new birds are allowed on site. Biosecurity controls are also likely to incur operational costs, plus there the poultry population that needs restocking after birds have died from the disease or been culled.
On the Nov. 7 the government expanded a mandatory order that all bird keepers in England were to ensure their birds were kept indoors. They also told owners to follow stringent biosecurity measures to protect their flocks that include several checks including where certain facilities are placed on a farm and which cleaning supplies can be used.
The order was originally in place in the hot spots of Suffolk, Norfolk, and some parts of Essex. The decision was made by the UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Christine Middlemiss, to try and curb the spread of the infection.
