The obligation to house poultry has been withdrawn with immediate effect for Drenthe and almost all other regions of the country. This has been decided by Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality Piet Adema.
Due to the spread of bird flu since the beginning of October last year, the confinement obligation was to prevent direct contact between poultry in a shed and infected animals. For the time being, the confinement obligation still applies in the Gelderse Vallei and the Limburgse Peel, because of the so-called poultry density in these regions, according to the minister.
Adema’s decision follows advice from experts. There would no longer be a great risk of bird flu in the poultry sector. The minister calls the withdrawal “good news for the free-range sector”. “Finally the chickens can go outside again.”
The ministry says it is monitoring the situation “closely”. Never before has it been necessary to maintain the confinement obligation for so long and never before has the virus circulated so vigorously and extensively in wild bird populations, can be read on the government website.
LTO Noord has wanted the penning obligation to be lifted for some time now, partly because poultry in surrounding countries is allowed to go outside. “The Dutch traders cannot deliver and that puts our country at a disadvantage. That is not fair in the context of competitive relations,” said Piet Faber of the poultry farming department of LTO Noord last month.
The confinement obligation came into effect on October 5 last year and was therefore already in force for nine months. In some regions, the measure had already been in force for a year and a half.