Copyright newsletter
Colly MacMahon, chairman of The Elite Butchers Association of Northern Ireland, was speaking after 15,000 turkeys were culled on a Lisnaskea farm this week after an outbreak of bird flu. Other suspected outbreaks this season have been on poultry farms in Omagh and Pomeroy, leading to the cull of some 20,000 and 16,000 birds respectively. The disease is not classed as being a threat to humans. From yesterday, the Department of Agriculture has ordered all poultry farmers to bring flocks indoors to protect the £600 million Northern Ireland poultry industry in the run up to Christmas. Earlier this week a turkey farmer from Randalstown, John Galloway, told the News Letter that the escalating number of outbreaks in poultry farms across Northern Ireland are “very concerning” for turkey farmers like him in the run up to Christmas. He said they had so much money invested in flocks at this time of year and there was minimal compensation for any farmers hit by the disease - and that insurance is prohibitively expensive. But Mr MacMahon, of MacMahons Butchers in Cookstown, told the News Letter that butchers have every confidence in the turkey farmers' biosecurity measures and are not worried about disruption to supplies in the run up to Christmas. "They know what they're doing, these turkey farmers," he told the News Letter. "We are not really concerned at the minute, to be honest, because all the birds have been put inside." He recalled the same measures being taken by poultry farmers during a previous outbreak. "We had no we had no problems at all on that occasion, so it would not be a big concern this time," he added. He notes that some major turkey farmers prefer to manage their birds in a free range manner most of the year but that - unfortunately - they will now probably have to finish them indoors for the Christmas market. "The last time bid flu hit e sort of just let it pass. It made no difference because we still sold the same amount of turkeys." The News Letter also asked Henderson Wholesale, which supplies to over 500 SPAR, EUROSPAR and ViVO stores across Northern Ireland, if it had any worries about turkey supply disruption due to bird flu outbreaks. The business did not express any concerns. It said: “We are continuing to monitor the situation, supporting and engaging with our supplier to ensure continued supply for our retailers and shoppers. Current supplies are not affected.” Meanwhile, The Ulster Farmers Union urged members to tighten biosecurity in light of the outbreaks. UFU deputy president Glenn Cuddy said: “Avian Influenza is a deadly infection in poultry, and can swiftly enter and spread among a flock. We’re disappointed the Department of Agriculture did not introduce housing measures sooner as the poultry sector across the island of Ireland was calling for it to protect farmers’ livelihoods following the confirmed cases, but it’s positive to finally have it in place from today [Thursday].” England’s housing orders also come into effect at the same time, he said. “We urge farmers to tighten their biosecurity and take all the precautions possible to reduce infection. Good farm hygiene is always essential and make yourself aware of the symptoms of Avian Influenza and exercise extreme vigilance.”
