The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Poultry industry on guard for any avian invasion

Owen Hembry
By Owen Hembry
Online Business Editor·
30 Oct, 2005 06:51 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

As avian influenza threatens to sweep across Europe, New Zealand poultry industry representatives have released updated plans to ensure producers are ready for any outbreak.

Poultry Industry Association and Egg Producers Federation executive director Michael Brooks says an outbreak would be catastrophic for the $700 million poultry and egg industry.


"Thailand was the world's biggest exporter of chickens when avian influenza broke out in 2004," he says. "[It] just about decimated their poultry industry, millions and millions of birds. A similar thing would arise here."

The federation has prepared a document, in association with Biosecurity New Zealand, detailing response policies and plans. It updates current documentation and draws together the latest information on virus analysis, diagnosis, transmission, risk profiles, control measures and communication policy.

Brooks says the 200-page report displays the industry's "healthy paranoia" regarding safety.

"You hope as much as possible you've covered every potential gap. In this sort of process that's what you do. You go back and have a look."

Strict import controls and geographical isolation have so far kept safe an industry which produced 87.5 million chickens last year.

Brooks says it has been fortunate that ducks and geese, which can carry influenza without displaying symptoms, do not migrate across the equator to mix with potentially infected Northern Hemisphere counterparts.

Other birds that do migrate here are not crossing areas of risk.

"It's not to say we're not taking it seriously, but it gives us that protection."

At present only adequately processed food products and hatchery eggs are imported into New Zealand.

Hatchery eggs are isolated at secure locations and only the great-grandchildren from the original imported eggs are sold for meat and egg production.

"There's still a potential risk from smuggled birds, but you rely on Customs and Biosecurity to be very hot on that issue," he says.

Susan Cork, senior science adviser for animals at Biosecurity New Zealand, says the potential spread of the virus in Europe hasn't changed the agency's approach. "We've always had a plan".

"Yes people are concerned, we're monitoring it, we're taking it very seriously. But we don't want people to panic."

The symptoms of avian influenza include loss of condition and blood- tinged discharge from the nose or in diarrhoea.

But Cork says symptoms can vary between bird species. Other conditions, including botulism and salmonella, can also kill birds.

* For more information phone Biosecurity 0800 809-966 or visit the link below.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

Storm-hit region faces 57-hour drenching; heavy rain to hit north of both islands

09 Jul 03:54 AM
The Country

David Seymour co-hosts The Country

09 Jul 02:22 AM
The Country

‘Clearly preventable’: Company, director sentenced over timber yard death

09 Jul 01:26 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

Storm-hit region faces 57-hour drenching; heavy rain to hit north of both islands

Storm-hit region faces 57-hour drenching; heavy rain to hit north of both islands

09 Jul 03:54 AM

Friday is expected to bring the worst of the heavy rain, which lingers into the weekend.

David Seymour co-hosts The Country

David Seymour co-hosts The Country

09 Jul 02:22 AM
‘Clearly preventable’: Company, director sentenced over timber yard death

‘Clearly preventable’: Company, director sentenced over timber yard death

09 Jul 01:26 AM
'David and Goliath': Australian gold mine company makes $25m Central Otago land deal

'David and Goliath': Australian gold mine company makes $25m Central Otago land deal

09 Jul 12:54 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP