The avian influenza prevention zone put in place in NI by DAERA in December, which requires compulsory housing of all poultry, is being kept under review by the Department.

The compulsory housing requirement is a concern for free-range producers as EU rules state that eggs from free-range birds housed for more than 12 weeks must be labelled as barn eggs, which are then sold without the free-range premium.

Efforts to lobby the European Commission for an extension to the maximum housing period for free-range birds have proved unsuccessful with several countries in Europe now past the 12-week limit.

For free-range producers in NI, the 12-week housing period expires on 16 March, the same date when the current prevention zone in Republic of Ireland expires.

On enquiry, a DAERA spokesperson said that the Department is continuing to review both the prevention zone and the housing requirements.

“However, no decision has yet been made in relation to housing or otherwise after the current avian influenza prevention zone ends,” the spokesperson said.

It is understood that free-range producers in NI are pressing retailers for a temporary status to be applied (reflecting the fact that the eggs are from free-range birds, temporarily housed) if the housing requirement is extended past mid-March.

Proposals

In Britain, Defra announced proposals earlier this month for compulsory housing only to be required in high-risk bird flu areas once their 12-week housing limit expires on 28 February.

“We have been talking to retailers about what’s going to happen if the labelling of some eggs has to change from free range to barn and we are hoping that there won’t be a big financial hit,” said Robert Gooch from the British Free Range Egg Producers Association.

The wider prevention zone across Britain requiring strict biosecurity expires at the end of April and it is hoped that the risk of avian influenza will have decreased by then due to reduced movements of migratory birds.

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