Work continues at Hillgrove, there have been no signs of production loss or ill birds at Mainland Poultry's five other properties in the area. Photo: Supplied / Otago Daily Times
New Zealand has reached agreement with Australia to restart the export of some chicken products there after it was shut down due to the bird flu outbreak in Otago.
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay revealed the breakthrough when addressing a select committee this morning during Parliament's scrutiny week.
New Zealand's $200m poultry exports were put on hold after the highly pathogenic H7N6 virus was detected at Mainland Poultry's Hillgrove Farm.
Trade officials have been working on resuming trade as quickly as possible - and McClay said they've come to an agreement with Australia.
He said Australia, like New Zealand, was taking a risk-based approach.
Speaking afterwards, McClay told RNZ the final details were still being ironed out, but a deal had been struck.
"Certain products, particularly chicken meat that has been cooked, that trade will be able to resume, and any chicken product that was frozen and produced before this outbreak, that also could go back to that market."
Bird flu not detected
Test results from a small free range chicken farm near Dunedin have not detected the bird flu strain at the centre of an outbreak at another farm.
The farm had reported bird deaths, after the H7N6 virus was found at a Mainland Poultry farm.
But Biosecurity NZ says they now believe the problems on the Dunedin farm are caused by an existing New Zealand disease among the birds
It says the negative results today are welcome news for the farmer.
"The results will be welcome news for the farmer and we would like to acknowledge their efforts in reporting the deaths and working with our staff, " said Biosecurity New Zealand's deputy director-general Stuart Anderson.
McClay told the Parliamentary select committee the negative results were "very good news" but New Zealand was not in the clear yet.
"I do want to caution, it's very early days. We're taking this extremely seriously."
MPI director general Ray Smith echoed the message: "We're in the very early stages of the incubation of this virus.
"It'll be a little bit longer before we feel really confident that this isn't anywhere other than the main farm that we found it in."
McClay also encouraged the public to keep a close eye on the health of poultry because of the risk of avian flu more generally.
"It is important that New Zealanders in rural areas, and elsewhere, keep a watchful eye out and provide information to us as quickly as possible."
In a separate appearance, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard said he was "cautiously optimistic about where we're tracking" given recent test results.
"Really well done to the farmers in question for having some really good biosecurity in place already, that has certainly enabled us to be able to, hopefully, get on top of this."
Hoggard said officials were continuing to work with the industry to prepare for the potential arrival of the more serious and highly infectious H5N1 bird flu strain - "the one we're really worried about".
"That, unlike this strain, that strain we won't be able to eradicate from New Zealand and it will be a case of: how do we learn to live with it?"
Culling of bird continues
Meanwhile further testing at five chicken farms operated by Mainland Poultry in the region also all come up negative.
"Steady progress is being made to depopulate chickens in two sheds at the Hillgrove egg farm and dispose of them safely at a secure landfill designed for such purposes.
"Our staff are visiting landowners that own poultry, including commercial and back yard, to provide helpful information on best biosecurity practices, signs of HPAI to look out for, and how to report these to MPI's pest and disease hotline," Anderson said.
He was confident they were on the path to stamping out H7N6.
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