About 200,000 chickens were culled from Mainland Poultry's Hillgrove Farm in Otago after the H7N6 strain of high pathogenic avian influenza was discovered in December. Photo: Supplied
An Otago poultry farm where the country's first case of high pathogenic bird flu was discovered last year can now start repopulating.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has now lifted biosecurity movement restrictions on the farm with the virus having been eradicated.
Mainland Poultry chief executive John McKay said they were very pleased to get to this stage and were looking forward to being fully operational again.
"We've been through the three key steps of depopulating the farm, disposing of all the material in a biosecure manner and then the cleaning and disinfecting stage. It's a long process and it's a detailed process but it's really important to get it right."
The virus is believed to have spread from wild birds to free-range laying hens foraging outside. It was not found anywhere else.
Eradication efforts saw all chickens on the farm humanely euthanised and disposed of in a secure landfill, along with eggs, litter and manure from the farm, followed by site decontamination and extensive surveillance, including more than 5600 tests being carried out.
McKay said it had been a "tough" few months for the team and the business.
"Obviously, there's a big cost on business in going through a response like this and there's costs on people."
Mainland Poultry was still working through the compensation process with MPI which won't be completed until the farm has fully repopulated.
This was expected to take at least a year to complete as the new birds would be introduced in a staged process across the farm's eight laying sheds.
While they wanted to get back to business as quickly as possible, McKay said it was important to do this in a "measured and monitored way"
Day-old chicks would be brought into the rearing sheds and kept there for 15 weeks before being transferred to laying sheds.
"We're feeling really confident about getting birds back on farm."
The restrictions being lifted, felt like "light at the end of the tunnel", McKay said.
He credited their success in eradicating the virus to support from MPI, which he described as "first rate", and a collaborative and proactive industry response prior to the outbreak.
"If you go through a response like this is just reinforces the need for all of us in the poultry sector to take our biosecurity very, very seriously."
Gas bottles are being moved from the entrance to further onto Hillgrove Egg Farm on 3 December 2024. Photo: RNZ / Tess Brunton
A collaborative effort
MPI chief veterinary officer Dr Mary Van Andel said the removal of the movement controls was a "significant milestone".
"The processes we have followed - depopulation and disposal, decontamination of the site and extensive surveillance - give us confidence that the virus has been eradicated," she said.
"We're grateful to Mainland Poultry, which did the right thing in notifying us as soon as an exotic disease was suspected and for working with us in partnership to successfully stamp out this disease."
Dr Van Andel said MPI staff would continue to support Mainland as the farm is repopulated.
"Good progress is being made to restore trade, with around $300 million of trade in poultry products recovered to date."
MPI has worked with overseas government counterparts and industry partners in New Zealand to meet market requirements and has also proposed alternative assurances to some markets. MPI continues to work towards the reopening of trade for others.
Many lessons had been learned through the response to the outbreak, the first time such an event in New Zealand has been documented.
These lesson would help prepare for the H5N1 strain if it spread to New Zealand, with Dr Van Andel adding it was still important for the industry to remain vigilant.
"Absolutely industry and the ministry are focussed on ongoing preparedness and making sure we are upping our game on biosecurity and resilience, and this operational planning in what we've learned to be ready for any future challenges."
Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard said the collaborative approach was key to the eradication.
"It has been important work, because New Zealand's robust biosecurity system and the relative freedom from pests and disease that it protects play a massive part in our farmers' competitive advantage."
He said all the work that has been going in to prepare for the possible arrival of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza that has led to millions of bird deaths overseas, put New Zealand in a good position to deal with the less virulent H7N6 strain found on the farm.
"This was the first detection of HPAI in New Zealand and it tested some of the plans that are being developed for the arrival of HPAI H5N1. It certainly provides a timely reminder that all New Zealanders have a role to play in being prepared and that is through strong biosecurity as an essential first line of defence.
"Our geographic isolation has protected us from H5N1 to date, but we can't afford to be complacent."
Anyone concerned about unwell poultry should contact their vet, and for unwell wild birds contact MPI on 0800 809966.
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