This weeks international farming news has seen many developments, from Olympic egg news, vaccine rollouts and the UK raising a ‘Level 4’ bird flu alert.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) to share research data for bird flu vaccine
Argentine biopharmaceutical company Sinergium Biotech is developing an mRNA vaccine against bird flu (H5N1). The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced on Monday that the company will share its research data with manufacturers in poorer countries to ensure equitable access to a potential future bird flu vaccine..
Athletes complain about the lack of eggs for breakfast at the start of the Olympics
Athletes in the Olympic Village in Paris are frustrated by the shortage of eggs, which play a key part of their diet. Sodexo, the catering partner, has acknowledged the high demand and promises to boost supply. The village’s six dining areas will serve 13 million meals to 15,000 athletes during the Games. All food, including eggs, meat, and dairy, is sourced from France, with over 20% being organic and a quarter coming from within 250 kilometres of Paris.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) declares a ‘level 4’ alert
UK health officials have declared a ‘level 4’ bird flu (H5N1) alert, after the virus recently jumped from cows to humans in the US. This development has raised fears of the virus evolving to spread between people. The UKHSA warns of a lot of uncertainty about the outbreak’s path in the US and the current biosecurity measures they have in place. The risk to the UK is presently considered low.
The Philippines have approved Vietnamese African swine fever vaccine
The Department of Agriculture in the Philippines has announced a controlled distribution of 600,000 doses of a newly approved vaccine from Vietnam. This decision is driven by growing concerns about the potential spread of the disease from the remains of culled pigs, which have been buried, and the heightened risk posed by the heavy rains and flooding anticipated in the coming months.
Defra releases their Farmer Opinion Tracker figure
The figures published on Defra’s website on Wednesday were open to farmers in England from April to early June 2024. The findings showed that 26% of farmers planned to stay in farming, although they were planning to downsize, whilst 38% were choosing to diversify into non-farming areas. Ten percent say they would be leaving farming by retiring or leaving the running of the farm to the next generation, and four percent were leaving for some other reason. These figures highlighted the worrying trend of farmers reducing their time and investment in conventional farming when we need them the most.