Australian Eggs is continuing to work with NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) and Agriculture Victoria in responding to avian influenza detections in defined areas of New South Wales and Victoria. There was a second detection of avian influenza over the weekend at a chicken meat facility and importantly, this was within the Restricted Area surrounding the first impacted property. Overall, there has been two cases of avian influenza in poultry farms in New South Wales and 7 in Victoria with the egg, duck meat and chicken meat industries being impacted.
“The impact of avian influenza in Australia is being felt right across the poultry industries, but the response protocols being put in place by the authorities and are proving to be successful in containing the disease to a small number of farms”, said Rowan McMonnies, Managing Director of Australian Eggs.“We saw the successful containment of avian influenza to a defined area of Victoria managed by established response protocols and expect a similar outcome in New South Wales,” said McMonnies.
“The most recent NSW case wont impact egg supply as it wasn’t an egg farm,” said McMonnies. “Consumers can be assured there’s still over 20 million hens under the care of hundreds of egg farmers across Australia that will continue to work hard to ensure there’s eggs on shelves” concluded McMonnies.