Gareth Davies MP met with representatives from the NFU in Parliament today to discuss the impact of avian flu and other significant pressures on poultry farmers locally and nationwide.
In this outbreak, since October 2022, there have been more than 200 cases throughout the UK, but the number of avian flu cases have been falling in recent weeks, in part thanks to the good levels of biosecurity on poultry farms.
In order to mitigate the financial impact upon farmers, the Government has taken steps to improve the provision of compensation to those who have recorded cases amongst their livestock, resulting in the need for humane culling. Farmers now have greater certainty earlier on, are paid more quickly, and should receive a greater sum than in previous years.
Despite this good news, there is more we can do to help the poultry sector, including with the cost of energy and other input costs such as feed, labour, and packaging.
As for all businesses, the Government is providing support to help farmers face high global energy prices through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme which provides a discount on wholesale gas and electricity prices for all non-domestic customers.
The Government is also aware of the current tightening of the egg market. This is why Defra continues to keep the market under review through the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group and officials in Defra regularly meet with figures in the poultry industry.
