Another busy week in UK livestock has seen Scottish mandatory bird flu registration open, whilst a bluetongue vaccine has been approved. NFU Mutual has ceased its AI insurance whilst the National Pig Association is urging the Government to remove the 2kg personal allowance for pork products in response to fears of African swine fever.
Bluetongue latest
This week the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) confirmed the most recent case of bluetongue in East Yorkshire. A 20km temporary control zone (TCZ) is now in place around the infected premises adding East Yorkshire to the list of counties with existing Restriction Zones: Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.
In line with the bluetongue disease control framework, Restriction Zones mean that whilst animal movements are allowed within a Zone, they cannot be moved outside of it without a special licence.
You can keep up to date with the latest bluetongue Restriction Zones with the bluetongue tracker on the Livetec Systems app. Download it here.
In other bluetongue news, three BTV-3 vaccines have been approved for use by Defra. TAlready used in the Netherlands and Belgium, the vaccines do not prevent infection but have proven to reduce symptoms of the virus, restricting resultant deaths. The vaccines will only be accessible through veterinary prescription and will primarily target the high risk areas of Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Kent and West Sussex.
NPA urges Government to remove 2kg allowance for pork products
As we’ve reported, African swine fever cases are rapidly increasing across Europe, and with 100 tonnes of illegal pork products seized at the Port of Dover, concerns have been raised about the risk of the virus entering the UK. The NPA are concerned that the 2kg personal allowance for pork products is a risk to the country’s pork industry and are calling for the government to remove the allowance.
Mandatory poultry registration opens for Scottish bird keepers
The Scottish Kept Bird Register (SKBR) is now open, and all bird keepers are required to register their birds by December 1st 2024.
This legal requirement aims to ensure that all outdoor birds, whether part of a commercial flock or are kept as pets, are registered. This is a measure to improve biosecurity and help control outbreaks of diseases like avian influenza. Exemptions apply to fully indoor birds such as parrots and budgerigars unless they are taken outside for events like shows or training.
Scotland’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Sheila Voas, said of the new rules that “This registration is vital to help us protect bird health and manage disease outbreaks quickly and effectively, ensuring both hobbyist and commercial bird keepers receive timely information.”
NFU Mutual closes avian influenza insurance coverage
NFU Mutual, a major provider of avian influenza insurance for UK poultry farmers, has stopped accepting new customers for this coverage. As of the 1st of September, they will no longer offer bird flu insurance to new clients. The NFU Mutual has stated that they clearly announced this change when they first reopened their avian influenza policy to new business in April 2024. This was the first time they had offered this coverage in over three years.
