Newcastle disease spells increase in egg prices
15 May 2002

Egg prices in Victoria could jump by more than 20 cents a dozen following the outbreak of Newcastle disease on a layer farm near Meredith, according to the Victorian Farmers' Federation. VFF Egg Producers Group president Meg Parkinson said the infected farm was one of the largest in the State. The Department of Natural Resources and Environment started slaughtering more than 200,000 chickens at the farm yesterday, which will result in lost production of up to 17,000 dozen eggs a day.

Ms Parkinson said that the egg price rise will depend on how quickly the birds can be replaced, but added that it could take up to 12 months before a new flock goes into production.

The chickens at the infected farm are being destroyed by carbon dioxide asphyxiation and will be buried on the property over the next five days. The operation will cost the industry and the State Government about $2.2 million. A vaccination program for Newcastle disease will be investigated by Animal Health Australia as part of an urgent review of the disease due on June 14th. Meanwhile, AQIS has implemented a ban on the export of poultry and poultry products from Victoria, which could last six months.

Victorian poultry quarantined after Newcastle disease confirmed
14 May 2002

The Australian Quarantine Inspection Service has banned all exports of poultry and poultry products from Victoria, after the discovery of an outbreak of Newcastle Disease on a farm near Ballarat. This is the first time that the lethal viral disease has been detected outside New South Wales.

About 250,000 chickens will be destroyed in a 10-kilometre control zone around the layer farm at Meredith, which has been quarantined. Millions of dollars worth of chicken meat and egg exports have been suspended. The ban will stay in place for a minimum of six months, until Australia can confirm that the disease has been eradicated.

Meg Parkinson, from the Victorian Farmers' Federation's Egg Producers' Group, says that the suspension of poultry and poultry products exports comes under the offset plan and under the rules of the Organisation of International Epizooties. Australia has a responsibility to notify the organisation and suspend all exports until an agreement is reached.

President of the Victorian Chicken Meat Processors, Giz Marven, says that the whole poultry industry is under threat if the disease isn't contained within the region. Products that have been pre-sold and are booked to go in the next few weeks can't go, he said, and if the State is suspended a lot of stock will be held. Export production will have to stop and the industry will have to look for domestic markets for some of the products.

Victorian officials on alert for Newcastle Disease
13 May 2002

Department of Natural Resources and Environment officials have quarantined a poultry farm west of Melbourne following the discovery of a suspected case of Newcastle Disease. A drop in the farm's egg production is thought to be caused by the highly contagious viral disease but DNA finger-printing will be required to confirm the results of the initial tests.

Two years ago, an outbreak of the disease crippled one of New South Wales's largest poultry regions, Mangrove Mountain. But DNRE's John Galvin is optimistic that the impact on Victoria's industry would not be as serious. He said that Mangrove Mountain was "wall-to-wall chook city", with large concentrations of poultry and the opportunity for the spread of diseases in a localised area. The current situation in Victoria is not like that, he said, but one of the key lessons learned from the Mangrove Mountain experience was how vaccine was used and its effectiveness.