If you keep poultry you need to be aware that an extension of the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone, covering the whole of Wales, by a further seven weeks, until 28 February 2017 has been declared by the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths.

The Declaration of an Extension of the Prevention Zone follows a case of Avian Influenza in a backyard flock in Pontyberem, Carmarthenshire yesterday. This is the same strain of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) (H5N8) virus found in a wild duck in Llanelli on 22 December, a turkey farm in Lincolnshire on 16 December and wild, captive and domestic birds in many European countries, the Middle East and North Africa.

The Prevention Zone, originally introduced on 6 December 2016, enhanced biosecurity measures including:

• a requirement for all keepers of poultry and other captive birds to keep their birds indoors, or take appropriate steps to keep them separate from wild birds.

Similar arrangements were also announced in England and Scotland on the same day and Northern Ireland on 23 December 2016.  England and Scotland have announced extensions to their own Prevention Zones today.

The extension of the Prevention Zone does not affect the ability of poultry keepers to market their products as free range. Under EU legislation, poultry keepers are able to maintain their free range-status for a period of 12 weeks if Government issues such a declaration.

If you are concerned about the health of your birds you should seek advice from your veterinary surgeon. If you suspect that your birds are showing signs of the disease you should immediately report it to your local Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) office.

Poultry keepers are encouraged to provide details of their flocks to the Poultry Register. This will ensure they can be contacted immediately in the event of an avian disease outbreak so that they can take action to protect their flock at the earliest opportunity.

Members of the public are encouraged to report dead wild waterfowl (swans, geese or ducks), or other dead wild birds such as gulls or birds of prey, to the Defra helpline on 03459 33 55 77.

The Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths said:

“We have taken the decision to extend the Prevention Zone on the basis of expert advice and after consulting with our counterparts across the UK. This action aims to protect our poultry flocks and other domestic birds from the disease.

“My message to bird owners, including to back yard flock keepers, is to adhere to the requirements set out in the Prevention Zone, remain vigilant for signs of disease and practice good biosecurity at all times.

The Chief Veterinary Officer, Christianne Glossop added:

“I would encourage all poultry keepers to continue to be alert for signs of the disease and practice the highest levels of biosecurity. The movement of poultry should be minimised, and clothing and equipment should always be disinfected.

“Even when birds are housed, there remains a risk of infection and keepers of poultry and other captive birds should ensure that every effort is made to prevent contact with wild birds."

We have today welcomed Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths’ support for our call for an overarching UK framework for agricultural policy with appropriate flexibility for devolved regions.

Speaking during a panel discussion at the Oxford Farming Conference, Mrs Griffiths highlighted the fact that key areas of agricultural policy had been devolved to Wales since 1999, but that a UK framework which respected devolution was needed.

[caption id="attachment_7076" align="alignright" width="150"] "Without direct support via Pillar 1 most businesses would not survive..." - Glyn Roberts[/caption]

Speaking from the conference, FUW President Glyn Roberts said: “I welcome our own Cabinet Secretary’s support for the FUW’s policy position published last year.”

The panel - comprising Defra Minister George Eustice; SNP Environment and Rural Affairs spokesperson Calum Kerr; Welsh Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths and Northern Irish Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Michelle McIlveen - generally agreed that the devolved regions should work together to develop some form of mechanism to prevent distortion between agricultural producers in different regions.

However, Mr Roberts expressed concern that the Welsh Cabinet Secretary did not explicitly support SNP spokesman Calum Kerr’s call during the debate for current agricultural and rural development spending to be at least maintained post 2020 until alternative means of sustaining farm incomes became apparent.

“Mr Kerr highlighted the importance of direct support and maintaining the current budget to Scotland and it’s farmers, and Wales is in a very similar position in terms of the reliance of our rural businesses and economy on the current allocation,” said Mr Roberts.

“The economic and social arguments in favour of maintaining the Welsh budget for agriculture and rural development into the future are no different to those in Scotland.

Mr Roberts said that Welsh Farm Business Survey results show every pound given in direct support for Welsh farming generates many more in terms of employment and payments to other businesses.

“The figures also show that without direct support via Pillar 1 most businesses would not survive, meaning the loss of a multi-billion pound multiplier effect that brings vast benefits to Wales’ economy.

“Wales needs to take a strong position on maintaining the budget, just as it did during the negotiations over the CAP budget - or risk a net fall in our overall funding allocation, with dire knock-on effects for our entire economy,” he added.

[caption id="attachment_7431" align="alignleft" width="300"] Those who keep birds must follow the official guidelines provided by the Chief Veterinary Officer and practise the highest level of biosecurity[/caption]

Poultry keepers in Carmarthenshire need to be aware of a confirmed case of Avian Influenza H5N8, which was confirmed in a back yard flock of chickens and ducks on a premises in Pontyberem, Carmarthenshire.

A 3 kilometer Protection Zone and 10 kilometer Surveillance Zone have been put in place around the infected premises, to limit the risk of the disease spreading.

Those who keep poultry are advised to contact their veterinary surgeon if they are concerned about the health of their birds and if they suspect that their birds are showing signs of the disease are advised to immediately report it to the local Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) office.

Members of the public are encouraged to report dead wild waterfowl (swans, geese or ducks) or gulls, or five or more dead wild birds of other species in the same location, to the Defra helpline on 03459 335577.

The virus found in Carmarthenshire is the same strain of the virus identified in a wild duck in Llanelli on 22 December, a turkey farm in Lincolnshire on 16 December and cases in wild, captive or domestic birds in many European countries, the Middle East and North Africa.

FUW Senior Policy Officer Dr Hazel Wright said: “This is a worry for our poultry farmers and anyone who keeps chickens, ducks and other poultry in a small or private capacity. I urge those who keep birds to follow the official guidelines provided by the Chief Veterinary Officer and practise the highest level of biosecurity.”

The risk to public health is classed as low, that’s according to advice from Public Health Wales (PHW), and the Food Standards Agency has made it clear that avian flu does not pose a food safety risk for UK consumers. Thoroughly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, are safe to eat.

Poultry keepers are further encouraged to provide details of their flocks to the Poultry Register, which will ensure they can be contacted immediately in the event of an avian disease outbreak so that they can take action to protect their flock at the earliest opportunity.

What does the Restriction Zone mean?

The restrictions in place mean that all premises with poultry and/or captive birds within the zones will continue to house their birds, if possible. The movement of birds, mammals and other things, such as carcasses, eggs, used poultry litter and manure, on or off premises where poultry are present and out of the Protection and Surveillance Zones are banned except under license. No gatherings of poultry or the release of game birds are also allowed in the zones. Information on the restrictions in place within the zones can be found at: http://gov.wales/topics/environmentcountryside/ahw/disease/avianflu/?lang=enand.

What does the Prevention Zone mean?

A Prevention Zone was also established in Wales on the 6th December, which requires all keepers of poultry and other captive birds to keep their birds indoors, or take appropriate steps to keep them separate, and protect them, from wild birds. Further steps were taken to protect poultry and captive birds by introducing a temporary suspension on gatherings of poultry.

[caption id="attachment_7425" align="aligncenter" width="200"] Glyn Roberts.[/caption]

The momentous nature of 2016 in terms of the UK’s decision to leave the EU will dominate Christmas and New Year’s messages in all sectors, from social care to construction, banking to pharmacy.

But the implications for agriculture may be more far reaching than for any other sector: For decades, membership of the EU has burdened farmers and the food supply chain with ever growing levels of bureaucracy, more so than any other industry, leading many farmers to decide on 23rd June 2016 ‘enough is enough’.

But the other side of the coin has been market protection against cheaper non-EU products produced to far lower standards, and an EU agriculture and rural development budget far greater than that devoted to any other sector.

As UK politicians debate and argue over the many post-Brexit scenarios, our freedom to make decisions without interference from pro-farming EU members such as France is seen by many as an opportunity to slash support for farming and open up our markets to cheap food.

Equally vocal are those arguing for farm rules and restrictions to be ratcheted up while ignoring economic realities and the hypocrisy and dangers of doing this without demanding greater market protection against products not subject to the same restrictions.

Meanwhile, those highlighting the dangers such policies represent for our rural communities are few and far between, and it is no overstatement to say that the farming industry and our rural economies are facing the biggest challenge since the Second World War.

In anticipation of these dangers and a Brexit vote, the need for a proper assessment of the economics of Welsh agriculture and rural communities was the central message of the FUW’s manifesto, launched at the 2015 Winter Fair.

Since then, the Union has been at the forefront of moves to undertake such work, and as members of Wales’ Strategic Framework Group we have worked alongside others in collating and analysing data in order to identify and quantify the risks and opportunities represented by post Brexit policies.

Meanwhile, communicating the essential roles played by Welsh agriculture in terms of food production, biodiversity, climate change and economics has been a focus of our #FarmingMatters campaign, and in our regular meetings with Welsh and UK Government Ministers and other interested parties.

As part of that campaign, we have held regular farm visits for politicians, attended by upstream and downstream businesses which are reliant on the industry in order to demonstrate the complexity and economic importance of the supply chains in which farmers are the key link, and I would take this opportunity to thank all those who have hosted and attended these events.

Whilst the work in emphasising this importance to those outside the industry has gone on, we have also consulted internally with members on the nature of Brexit and post-Brexit policies, agreeing on the key overarching principles which should guide UK governments in terms of negotiations - both with the EU, and between the UK’s devolved regions.

Meanwhile, FUW staff across Wales have continued to provide invaluable frontline services for members in terms of assistance, advice and guidance, as well as lobbying on matters such as bovine TB and Nitrate Vulnerable Zones - all issues which will be altered radically by the decisions made in relation to Brexit over the coming months and years.

As pro-European politicians start to recognise the dangers of arrogantly dismissing genuine concerns regarding the nature of the EU, many pro-Brexit politicians are finding there is a world of difference between pre-referendum promises of Utopia and the real world of trade negotiations, global politics and economics.

With speculation of what Brexit might mean in terms of timescales, trade deals, and legislation changing on a daily basis, we are facing a level of uncertainty and risk not seen for generations.

I know of many in their teens and twenties who were heartbroken by the referendum result and what its implications would be for them and the future of our countryside.

What better incentive could there be for us as an industry and politicians on all sides of the debate to work to ensure there is a bright future for those who will take our places in the decades to come.

We have a responsibility to offer answers, set out visions, and fight for the policies which will make Wales’ future outside the EU a better one, and the FUW is committed to doing just that as the independent voice for Welsh farming.

I wish you all a very happy Christmas and prosperous New Year.