7. What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the impact of the current avian flu outbreak on egg producers in Wales? OQ58789

Thank you. Since 1 October 2022, there have been three confirmed outbreaks of avian influenza in Wales. The epidemiological start of the current outbreak was in October 2021, and we saw cases continue to be confirmed throughout the summer for the first time. We continue to monitor the disease situation on a daily basis. 

Thank you, Minister, for that response. The poultry sector in Wales and beyond is currently experiencing a range of challenges, with the effects of the avian flu outbreak combining with increases in input costs to create a difficult outlook for producers. Constrained supply, partly as a result of avian flu measures and higher demand at this time of year, has meant that egg availability is lower than normal. This has resulted in a number of supermarkets limiting the sale of eggs to consumers. Farming unions have also raised concerns that some retailers have taken the disappointing decision to import barn eggs, which are not produced to the same high standards as they are here in Wales.

Minister, I know you'll agree with me that these are worrying times for poultry producers, who are doing their very best to maintain wider confidence in the sector. So, how is the Government working with producers to help maintain supply as much as possible, as well as working with retailers to ensure that producers get a fair price for their eggs? How would you respond to calls from the farming unions for you to consider using powers under the UK Agriculture Act 2020 to investigate whether a declaration of exceptional market conditions should be made, so that the Government can support producers to cope with any financial losses as a consequence of the measures in place to deal with avian flu?

Thank you. You will have heard me say in an earlier answer that, obviously, that is something that we can consider. I would prefer to wait until I've had my ministerial meeting on Monday to see what other views are across the UK and whether there's anything that we can do collectively together. I think you're right; these are challenging times for everybody, and I absolutely accept that there are a range of other pressures on our egg producers at the current time. 

Certainly, the information I'm getting—again, I mentioned earlier that we're in daily contact in relation to this issue—is that supply is tight but it is holding up as well, and I know that some supermarkets have introduced low-key limits on how many eggs a customer can buy, for instance. But, we do feel that the biggest risk to supply is the media driving panic buying, so we're really keen to avoid that.