Christmas dinners could have no turkeys this year because of the latest outbreak of bird flu, a leading Irish turkey producer has warned.
IFA (Irish Farmers’ Association) organic expert, John Curran, told the Irish Mirror: “there’s a high risk we won’t have any turkeys for Christmas.”
Agriculture Minister Charlie McConologue has issued an emergency directive to all poultry farmers in the country to bring all of their poultry indoors, 24/7, from next Monday.
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The avian population is facing a devastating winter as hundreds of millions of birds worldwide are dying from the latest deadly strain of the flu this season alone.
The strain is not a danger to humans, but it is a major threat to the populations of poultry in the country and the chairman of the IFA’s Organic Project Team, Mr Curran, has told the Mirror we need to be extra careful or we could be without turkeys for Christmas.
He said: “We can’t take any chances.
“For the bigger producers, they are only six weeks out from slaughter, we’re in the final stages and there’s a high risk we won’t have any turkeys for Christmas if we do not take the proper precautions.”
Mr Curran produces a small batch of around 120 organic bronzed turkeys every year.
He added: “It’s a bit scary in the run-up to Christmas.
“I would urge everyone to take precautions and it’s important too that you shop local where you can so you know exactly where your bird has come from.”
(IFA) put out a 'red alert' to its members in poultry production after a dead swan was discovered in Cavan.
The swan was found to have been infected with a strain of avian flu known as HP A1 H5N1 after a post-mortem was performed on the bird in a Department of Agriculture lab.
The Cavan / Monaghan area produces up to three-quarters of Christmas turkeys for supermarkets and butchers.
In the US, up to 50 million birds grown for Thanksgiving have already been slaughtered.
A spokesman for Mr McConologue said the Minister: “has announced he is introducing regulations under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 requiring flock keepers to confine all poultry and captive birds in their possession or under their control in a secure building to which wild birds, or other animals do not have access.
“The Regulations, entitled Avian Influenza (Precautionary Confinement of Birds) Regulations 2022, are being introduced as a precautionary measure and come into force on 7th November.
“This measure is being taken against a background of the confirmation of disease in wild birds along the coast since July, increasing risk levels due to colder temperatures and shorter daylight hours as well as recent confirmation of disease in a wild bird inland.
“In addition, two outbreaks of HPAI H5N1 have been reported in captive bird flocks in coastal areas of counties Dublin and Wicklow where HPAI H5N1 had been confirmed previously in wild birds.
“These findings highlight an increasing risk to all poultry flocks and captive birds and by extension the poultry industry.
“Outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza have also been identified in poultry flocks in Great Britain and a number of other European countries in recent weeks.”
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