The King will visit the Government agency responsible for controlling endemic and exotic diseases and pests in animals, plants and bees to learn about its work combating avian flu.
Charles will be given a tour of the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s (Apha) headquarters in Weybridge, Surrey, where he will be joined by Lord Benyon, minister for biosecurity, marine and rural affairs.
Since October 2021 there have been more than 330 cases of avian influenza confirmed across the country, and in January farming minister Mark Spencer told MPs more than seven million birds, mainly turkeys, have been culled in that time.
Eggs have also become scarce on supermarket shelves due to a combination of some farmers stopping production due to increased costs and the outbreak of avian influenza H5N1 across the globe, experts have said.
Apha is an executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and also works on behalf of the Scottish and Welsh Governments.
During his visit the King will be briefed on some of the most difficult animal health diseases the world faces, including avian flu and bovine TB, and plant health challenges, including invasive non-native species.
He will tour specialist research laboratories to see genome mapping and a mosquito laboratory where he will learn about Apha’s vector-borne disease programme, and staff helping Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion of their homeland to bring their pets to the UK.
Ahead of the visit, chief veterinary officer Dr Christine Middlemiss, who will join the King, said: “Today’s visit really is about recognising the last 18 months of remarkable work and the Apha staff who have worked day in and day out to help control and manage the spread of avian influenza.
“The scale of avian influenza outbreaks across the UK and Europe has been unprecedented and our response has been underpinned by the world-leading science and disease control work carried out at Weybridge.”
