Bird flu alarm: Lower Saxony's companies under pressure!

Bird flu alarm: Lower Saxony's companies under pressure!

Bird flu continues to spread rapidly in Lower Saxony. The Cloppenburg district is particularly affected, where 12 farms with 119,900 turkeys and 5,300 ducks have been quarantined since October 15th alone. The most recent outbreak was recorded at a turkey farm in Bösel, where 11,400 turkeys had to be killed to stop the virus from spreading further. From the perspective of the responsible authorities, such measures are essential to contain the disease and protect poultry populations, as NDR reports.

But there are problems not only in Cloppenburge. In the municipality of Oldendorf-Himmelpforten in the Stade district, 6,700 animals were also culled due to infection. The stable requirement was extended to a 10-kilometer radius around the affected businesses. In addition, areas in Twistringen, Bassum and Barnstorf are also affected after an outbreak was reported in the Oldenburg district. The situation is tense because 365,000 animals have been affected in the Vechta district to date, with 175,000 laying hens having to be culled in Spreda alone.

Protective measures and politics

The Lower Saxony State Commissioner for Animal Protection criticizes the current animal disease policy and calls for preventative measures to avoid such drastic interventions in the stocks. There are currently 29 active outbreaks in various counties, including Cloppenburg, Diepholz, Emsland, Harburg, Heidekreis, Oldenburg, Rotenburg/Wümme, Stade and Vechta. These districts have all issued blanket orders to combat bird flu, which the population must strictly follow.

A video conference attended by numerous actors from the agricultural sector illustrates the efforts to ensure a coordinated response to the crisis. State Secretary Frauke Patzke praised the cooperation and vigilance of the poultry companies. The Ministry of Agriculture has also emphasized that biosecurity measures and the rapid reporting of suspected cases are of utmost importance to stop the virus from spreading further, according to ml.niedersachsen.de.

Prospects for agriculture

The impact on the poultry market could be significant. In order to accommodate farmers, higher compensation payments are being promised. Due to the situation, consumers could see price increases for duck and goose meat. The animal disease policy in Lower Saxony is being closely monitored, especially in view of the high populations in the affected regions - the Cloppenburg district had 2,257 poultry farms with around 12.3 million animals in 2024.

Although the virus is considered relatively harmless to humans, it is by no means without risk. Transmission can occur through contaminated footwear, equipment or even aerosols. It is therefore essential to consistently implement the necessary safety measures to protect both people and animals.

The situation remains tense and there is no solution in sight. Companies are working intensively to adapt to the current situation. Hunting associations and veterinary authorities are making an important contribution to combating the disease, while everyone involved is required to act actively to prevent a further increase in the number of diseases.