Norfolk poultry farmers said a new government bird flu support package does not do enough to help virus-stricken businesses.

Defra has announced a series of new measures to assist farmers hit by the UK’s worst-ever outbreak of avian influenza.

Norfolk has become the epicentre of the crisis, with more than 40 confirmed cases since the start of October, forcing the culls of hundreds of thousands of chickens, turkeys, geese and ducks.

The new government plans include altering the existing compensation scheme to allow farmers to be paid from the outset of planned culling rather than at the end, to “help stem any cash flow pressures”.

After consultation with the Food Standards Agency, marketing rules are also being eased to allow farmers who breed turkeys, geese or ducks for meat the option to slaughter their flocks early and to freeze these products, which can then be defrosted and sold to consumers between November 28 and December 31.

Farming minister Mark Spencer said he hoped these “practical solutions” will help provide greater financial certainty for the sector as it battles “this insidious disease”.

 

Chris Hill / Eastern Daily Press

Family attractions in the UK are serving more British meat and local ingredients despite battling rising costs and staff shortages, according to a Soil Association investigation.

The food and farming charity has ranked 16 of the UK’s leading attractions in a new league table after an army of “secret diner” parents helped to assess the quality of food on offer.

The Out to Lunch campaign found that nine of the attractions are sourcing local ingredients and that half of them are sourcing 100% British meat compared to a third in 2018, when the investigation last visited.

Good examples of local sourcing included Cornish meat at the Eden Project, a large variety of Scottish produce at both Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh and Kelvingrove, and Chester Zoo won points for sourcing meat and dairy from Cheshire and the Ribble Valley.

Soil Association head of food policy Rob Percival said: “We are really pleased to see visitor attractions supporting local, British farmers. Some of these attractions are really leading the way in sourcing ingredients that are not only British but produced on their doorsteps in their local area. It is particularly encouraging to see this when we know caterers deal with rising prices, staff shortages and supply chain disruption. It is a testament both to the efforts of the attractions, and to the quality of British products.”

 

by Michael Barker / Poultry News

New government support for the poultry industry has been announced today (Friday 28th October) to assist farmers and producers with the impacts of bird flu.

The United Kingdom is dealing with its worst ever bird flu outbreak with over 200 cases confirmed across the country in the last 12 months.

Under the new plans, the Government will alter the existing bird flu compensation scheme allowing compensation to be paid to farmers from the outset of planned culling rather than at the end. This will allow us to provide swifter payments to help stem any cash flow pressures and give earlier certainty about entitlement to compensation. The payments better reflect the impact of outbreaks on farmers.

In consultation with the Food Standards Agency, an easement to marketing rules is also being introduced in England. The measures mean that farmers who breed turkeys, geese or ducks for their meat will have the option to slaughter their flocks early and to freeze these products, which can then be defrosted and sold to consumers between the period 28 November and 31 December 2022. This option will give farmers certainty over business planning.

We have a highly resilient food supply chain, producing over 11 million turkeys in the United Kingdom every year, with just under two thirds of these consumed over the Christmas period.

Farming Minister Mark Spencer said:

Farmers and poultry producers are facing real pressures as a result of this avian flu outbreak, and we know many are concerned about the impact on their flocks

We hope the practical solutions announced today will help provide greater financial certainty. We very much appreciate the continued cooperation from the sector as we battle this insidious disease and will continue to keep the situation under close review

Last week, the Chief Veterinary Officer introduced a national Avian Influenza Prevention Zone meaning that bird keepers must implement strict biosecurity measures to safeguard their flocks from this highly infectious disease. In addition to this, a regional housing measure remains in place across Norfolk, Suffolk and parts of Essex, where keepers must house their flocks until further notice.

All bird keepers (whether they are pet birds, a commercial farm or just a few birds in a backyard flock) must remain vigilant and help prevent avian influenza by:

• cleanse and disinfect clothing, footwear, equipment and vehicles before and after contact with poultry and captive birds – if practical, use disposable protective clothing
• reduce the movement of people, vehicles or equipment to and from areas where poultry and captive birds are kept, to minimise contamination from manure, slurry and other products, and use effective vermin control
• keep records of mortality, movement of poultry and poultry products and any changes in production
• thoroughly clean and disinfect housing on a continuous basis
• keep fresh disinfectant at the right concentration at all farm and poultry housing entry and exit points
• minimise direct and indirect contact between poultry and captive birds and wild birds, including making sure all feed and water is not accessible to wild birds
• prevent access by poultry to ponds and watercourses and ensure that birds are kept in fenced or enclosed areas

Public health advice remains that the risk to human health from the virus is very low and food standards bodies advise that avian influenzas pose a very low food safety risk for UK consumers. Do not touch or pick up any dead or sick birds that you find and instead report them to the Defra helpline on 03459 33 55 77.

LONDON, Oct 25 (Reuters) – New UK government regulations set to come into force in December could prevent thousands of British meat producers from exporting to the European Union, the industry warned on Tuesday.

The British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) said a requirement for farms wishing to export to the EU to provide documents signed by vets that confirm visits to farms rather than the current system of farmer declaration was not achievable by the government’s Dec. 13 deadline.

It said that while the new rules would not impact farms covered by a UK Farm Assurance scheme such as Red Tractor, thousands of other farms would need to have a signed vet visit before the deadline.

It estimated the new rules, which it said have not been demanded by the EU, would take over a year to implement, partly due to a shortage of vets. It noted 72% of all UK meat exports go to the EU.

“If regulatory changes about to be introduced by Defra are allowed to go ahead on that date, a significant amount of the UK’s meat production will become non-compliant for export to the EU overnight,” the BMPA said in a letter to Defra minister Mark Spencer.

 

Reuters

Staff at the Food Standards Agency (FSA) are being balloted for strike action that could affect meat supplies during the festive season, says UNISON.

The dispute involving several hundred inspectors, vets, and office-based staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland could bring the industry to a halt, according to the union.

Earlier in the year, FSA staff voted to reject a pay offer of between 2% and 5%.

UNISON says this is significantly lower than inflation – currently 9.9% – and falls short of the 10% pay claim put forward by the union.

The ballot closes on 31 October. UNISON says this could result in strikes in the run up to and over Christmas leading to less meat on supermarket shelves.

UNISON head of local government Mike Short said: “FSA staff play a vital role in keeping contaminated meat off people’s plates.

“But many have to work in a difficult and unpleasant conditions inspecting carcasses for signs of disease.

“These employees protect consumers, ensure good animal welfare, and must be rewarded accordingly.

“The FSA needs to come up with a significantly higher offer to avoid any disruption.”

 

 

A 24-hour operation at Dover port has uncovered large amounts of raw animal products, including from countries with African swine fever (ASF) in their pig herds.

The checks were carried out by the Dover Port Health Authority, following the move by the Government to clamp down on the movement of pork products into the country. From September 1, it has been illegal to bring pork or pork products weighing over 2kg into the country unless they are produced to the EU’s commercial standards.

As part of efforts to police this, Operation Ouzo, a multi-agency exercise to check the adequacy of existing controls at the border, took place at the port from Saturday lunchtime to Sunday lunchtime at the start of October.

Inspectors searched 22 vehicles of Romanian, Moldovan, Ukrainian and Polish origin, Dover MP Natalie Elphicke told a House of Commons debate on Dover’s border controls last week.

They discovered raw animal products loosely stored in carrier bags and paper tissue without temperature control, refrigeration or labelled identification, and mixed with ready-to-eat products such as cheese, crisps and cake, according to the 20-page operational report.

In one case, raw, unlabelled and loosely-wrapped pork was found at the bottom of a taped-up wheelie bin, which was filled with other products intended for free circulation within the UK.

“We need to remember that it is not 22 vehicles a day entering the UK at Dover. There are up to 10,000 vehicle movements across the channel each day,” Ms Elphicke said.

 

by Alistair Driver / Pig World

Pilgrim’s UK has announced an £800,000 investment in its Bromborough site as part of its ongoing strategy to maximise operational efficiency across its UK operations.

Two new inline processes have been installed at the site, a benchmark for operational excellence within the industry, and are now operational.

The new lines are speeding up the packing process and increasing capacity across some of the company’s most popular products, including pork kebabs, steaks, boneless leg and shoulder joints, increasing outputs by up to 10% per week.

Part of the investment has gone towards a new dusting facility that allows products to be seasoned with herbs and spices more efficiently, simultaneously coating the top and bottom of each product. The facility was utilised throughout barbecue season this summer to meet the increase in demand from Pilgrim’s UK’s retail customers, predominantly producing kebabs and steaks.

With the busy Christmas trading period on the horizon, Pilgrim’s is confident this investment will allow the site to meet increasing customer demand, which is expected to double during peak season.

 

by Alistair Driver / Pig World

The Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Company (SALIC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund, and Minerva Foods announce the acquisition of 100% of issued shares in the Australian Lamb Company (ALC), for AUD 400 million (approx. SAR 970 million). The acquisition was done through (Minerva Foods Australia), a joint venture established last year between SALIC and Minerva in Australia.

As one of the largest meat producers in Australia, ALC operates two processing facilities in Victoria State, with a capacity to process up to 3.78 million heads annually, equivalent to around 100 thousand ton of lamb and sheep meat, serving the domestic market with high quality meat products, and exporting to more than 70 counties around the world.

Sulaiman Al-Rumaih, CEO of SALIC Group, said that the acquisition of ALC in partnership with Minerva Foods is in-line with SALIC’s strategy to contribute to the national food security objectives through global diversified investments in countries with competitive advantage such as Australia, which accounts for 42% of global red meat exports, taking into consideration that sheep meat represents 49% of red meat consumption in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Al-Rumaih added that the acquisition is another successful expansion in Australia, following the acquisition of Merredin Farms in 2018 and the establishment of Minerva Foods Australia in partnership with Minerva Foods in 2021 which own and operates two processing facilities Western Australia.

Noting that SALIC owns 30.55% of the share capital of Minerva Foods, which operates more than 27 slaughterhouses globally and exports red meat to more than 100 countries around the world, including the Saudi market.

 

SALIC.COM

The International Trade Committee today calls for an analysis of potential risks to the UK’s food security arising from the New Zealand trade deal.

In a new report on the UK’s trade agreement with New Zealand, the cross-party Committee of MPs raises concerns over the elimination of tariffs on New Zealand goods and the impact of opening UK agri-food markets to cheaper imports.

Much of New Zealand’s beef, sheep-meat and dairy are cheaper than those produced in the UK due to lower production costs.

With the Government’s impact assessment predicting that the UK’s agriculture, forestry, fishing, and semi-processed food sectors could contract due to increased competition, the Committee questions whether the pros and cons of tariff liberalisation have been fully considered.

While concluding that, on balance, the agreement should be ratified, the Committee outlines that it presents few new opportunities for UK exporters, and suggests more export opportunities or greater safeguards for the sector could have been negotiated.

The MPs criticise the absence of a single, unifying Government trade strategy and call for the publication of a clearly defined vision for trade, showing how it balances different priorities in the best interests of consumers and businesses. The Government’s approach to negotiating new deals is characterised as reactive and hasty, and not joined-up across departments. The Committee notes that current Treasury plans to raise taxes on higher-alcohol content beverages could negate measures in the agreement aimed at reducing the price of New Zealand wines.

The Committee also expresses shock that the UK is signing trade deals without thoroughly understanding how they interact with the Northern Ireland Protocol. MPs call on the Government to provide reassurance on how agreements between the UK, the EU and New Zealand will interact so that Northern Ireland can benefit from the trade deal in the same way as the rest of the UK.

The report calls for MPs to be given the opportunity to debate the agreement during the Parliamentary scrutiny period, with the ability to show their support, or otherwise, for it through a vote.

 

 

UK Parliament

Northern WA’s only major abattoir will undergo a $35 million expansion in a bid to boost its processing capacity by 60 per cent. 

It comes just six months after Kimberley Meat Company (KMC) reopened the facility — about 100 kilometres east of Broome — after it was mothballed in 2020.

As part of the expansion, the KMC abattoir — owned by Yeeda Pastoral Company — will extend its boning room, cold storage capacity, yard size, and add a rendering plant to the facility.

It also plans to open a butcher shop in Broome.

The expansion will allow the facility to increase its annual throughput to 85,000 head of cattle with a daily processing increase from 250 to 400 animals within the next year.

KMC chief executive David Larkin said the development would also provide pastoralists with the option to sell feeder cattle to the facility, rather than just heavier slaughter cattle.

“There are a lot of good feeder cattle that are produced in the Kimberley and we think we can add value to those, increase our numbers and give the producers another option other than live export,” he said.

 

By Stephanie Sinclair / ABC Kimberley