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The outbreak of non-notifiable bird flu in the border region has sparked major concern among poultry farmers who are seeking Government assurance they will be reimbursed in the event of flock depopulation.
IFA poultry chair Andrew Boylan has sought a meeting with Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed on the issue, which he feels the Government is not taking seriously enough.
“Farmers are facing unbelievable losses,” Boylan said.
The low pathogen strain of bird flu, H6N1, was confirmed on a poultry farm in Co Monaghan and three more farms are being investigated. There are also 11 confirmed cases in Northern Ireland.
The strain can cause a significant drop in egg production on affected units. It has no known public health risk nor international trade implications.
Boylan pointed out that because the strain is regarded as low pathogen, it is graded as a class B, and therefore poultry farmers in the Republic of Ireland or Europe are not entitled to compensation under State Aid rules.
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