The Farmers Mart Dec-Jan 2019 - Issue 60

10 FARM NEWS DEC/JAN 2019 • farmers-mart.co.uk Poultry farmers and bird keepers urged to prepare for winter Avian Flu threat POULTRY farmers and pet bird keepers across the UK urged to prepare for winter Avian Flu threat through biosecurity measures. The Chief Veterinary Officers across the UK are encouraging all poultry keepers to act now to reduce the risk of disease over the winter. Since June 2017, there have been no detections of avian influenza in poultry or kept birds in the UK and the UK has retained its OIE country freedom status since September 2017. There are some simple measures that all bird keepers, whether they are running a large commercial farm, keeping a few birds in their back garden or rearing game birds, should take to protect their animals against the threat of avian influenza in the coming winter months. These include: • Keep the area where birds live clean and tidy, control rats and mice and regularly disinfect any hard surfaces. • Clean footwear before and after visits. ‘ Registering your birds means the government can contact you in the case of an outbreak and provide information on the steps to take to limit the chances of your birds getting the disease’ • Place birds’ feed and water in fully enclosed areas that are protected from wild birds and remove any spilled feed regularly. • Put fencing around outdoor areas where birds are allowed and limit their access to ponds or areas visited by wild waterfowl. • Where possible, avoid keep- ing ducks and geese with other poultry species • For poultry keepers in Eng- land, Wales and Scotland, sign up to a free APHA service to receive text or email alerts to any outbreaks of bird flu in the UK. These measures are particularly important if you are in or close to one of the GB Higher Risk Areas. You can check whether you are in a Higher Risk Area by using our interactive maps. ‘ Last winter, the H5N6 HPAI strain of bird flu was only detected in wild birds and there were no outbreaks in domestic birds, either in commercial or small holdings ’ All bird keepers across Great Britain should also register their birds on the Great Britain Poultry Register (GBPR). If you have 50 or more birds, this is a legal require- ment, although keepers with few- er than 50 birds are also strongly encouraged to register. Registering your birds means the government can contact you in the case of an outbreak and provide information on the steps to take to limit the chances of your birds getting the disease. Last winter, the H5N6 HPAI strain of bird flu was only detected in wild birds and there were no out- breaks in domestic birds, either in commercial or small holdings. Although there have been no findings in the UK since June 2018 the virus is still circulating in wild birds in North Europe (including Denmark and Germany) and has caused outbreaks in poultry. The Government continues to monitor for incursions of avian flu and is working with the poultry and game bird industries. Resilience measures needed to combat extreme weather impact on farming sector RESILIENCE measures are urgently need- ed to combat extreme weather events, the NFU and NFU Cymru said today, with the summer’s agricultural drought highlighting the vulnerability of farming and the nation’s food security. A document setting out key priorities to help move towards a more drought-resil- ient farming sector and food system has been published to coincide with Farmers’ Day at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP24), in Poland. Recommendations for the Government and its agencies and for the farming sector include: PLAN • Develop long-term multi-sector col- laborative plans for managing water scarcity where food production is recognised as a priority user • Develop and promote best practice in the management of resources like soil and fodder across all sectors to improve farm resilience • Ensure strategic planning of straw supply and demand across the straw industry, uniting the supply chain • Promote contingency planning amongst farmers to help them better understand the risks of water supply disruption and how to manage them PROTECT • Develop policy measures to support farmers in managing the impacts of weather and market-related volatility, including droughts and water scarcity • Deliver maximum and timely flexibility in the application of water abstraction rules • Make prompt payments and introduce rapid derogations to rules governing farmed environment schemes • Remove blockages in the planning and licensing regulations that impede the construction of more on-farm water storage reservoirs PAY • Introduce incentives through the tax system to enable investment in farm reservoirs, and new farmed environ- ment schemes to encourage water efficiency measures delivering more crop per drop; • Invest in improved monitoring and measuring of abstraction to make best use of available water • Continue investment in the UK’s weath- er forecasting capability, especially in medium-term forecasts and those aligned to real-time water availability monitoring to support drought plan- ning NFU President Minette Batters said: “The summer’s heatwave and the im- pacts of the agricultural drought were hugely challenging and should be a wake- up call for us all. It caused crop yields to become increasingly unpredictable, low- er quality in fruit and vegetables, a severe lack of feed and bedding for livestock, interruptions to vital water supplies and an increased risk of fire. The reality is that the full effects won’t really be known until next year.”

The Farmers Mart Dec-Jan 2019 - Issue 60 | Page 10