Defra to pay avian flu compensation earlier

Poultry producers in England who are forced to cull flocks due to avian influenza will now be paid compensation earlier, following government intervention to help the sector deal with the worst bird flu outbreak on record.

Defra has changed its existing bird flu compensation scheme so that cash can be paid to farmers from the outset of planned culling rather than at the end.

A Defra statement released on Friday (28 October) said: “This will allow us to provide swifter payments to help stem any cashflow pressures and give earlier certainty about entitlement to compensation. The payments better reflect the impact of outbreaks on farmers.”

See also: Why bird flu threat is rising and what can be done about it

The announcement follows intense lobbying by the NFU, which has called for a better compensation system in response to the devastation the disease is causing, and for a national housing order to be introduced.

More than 200 cases of bird flu have been confirmed across the UK in the past 12 months, Defra said.

NFU poultry board chairman James Mottershead and NFU president Minette Batters attended a meeting with the biosecurity minister Lord Benyon in London on 27 October.

The union has also called for a review of marketing legislation, which provides a 16-week protection period for the marketing of free-range eggs when government housing measures are imposed, and more research into vaccination.

The Food Standards Agency has agreed to change some marketing rules in England.

Early cull option

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 28 November and 31 December 2022.

Defra farm 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 co-operation from the sector as we battle this insidious disease, and we will continue to keep the situation under close review.”