Great Yorkshire drops Poultry

UK - CONCERN over bird flu has led organisers of this year's Great Yorkshire Show to cancel the pigeon and poultry classes.

The organisers of the region's premier farming event of the year last night announced they had taken veterinary advice and opted to abandon the classes now rather than wait and take a decision later.

Long-standing concerns about the threat posed by avian flu to domestic poultry have been heightened by the recent discovery of a wild swan with the disease in Scotland.

Bill Cowling, honorary show director, said the decision had been taken with great reluctance, but with the interests of exhibitors and the industry as a whole in mind, given the concerns regarding avian flu. He said: "Sadly we have decided that we will not be going ahead with the pigeon and poultry classes. We have been monitoring the situation for a number of months and took the decision after speaking to our vets.

"We feel it would not be in the best interests of exhibitors to go ahead, and indeed we would not want to do anything which may compromise the biosecurity of commercial flocks. Naturally we are all disappointed."

Source: Yorkshire Post

26 April 2006