Friday, March 29, 2024

Feathers fly over chicken blame

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The poultry industry is angrily denying claims imported grains for feeding chickens are the smoking gun behind the latest velvet leaf outbreak, discovered in Waikato. Waikato Regional Council identified eight farms infested with velvet leaf from fodder beet seeds but another 21 properties were infected with the weed from other sources.
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One 36ha maize growing property near Matamata has been put under a “restricted place” order under biosecurity regulations, controlling how the farm’s crop can be harvested.

The number of infected sites has taken a significant leap from an original four known about since 2011 and spread between Waihou, Morrinsville, Mangatawhiri and Helensville, north of Auckland.

WRC biosecurity officer Darian Embling said all the properties were linked through maize growing, maize silage and machinery. Chicken manure was one other incursion pathway but there was no conclusive link.

“When you look at the processes the poultry industry has for dealing with imported grain to remove weed seed, it is pretty tight and on the risk scale would be lower.”

But Waikato Federated Farmers grain and seed chairman John Hodge was adamant the outbreak was linked to the use of imported grain in chicken feed by large poultry companies.

The Matamata property had chicken manure applied before being planted in maize, as had other properties where non fodder beet outbreaks were reported.

Waikato based Foundation for Arable Research research manager Mike Parker confirmed poultry manure with imported grains in it was a common factor in the four earlier infestations of velvet leaf.

“This time we cannot prove it completely but in every case where an invasion has occurred poultry manure containing an imported grain source has been spread.”

But Poultry Industry Association chief executive Michael Brooks was highly annoyed by claims being made about the industry’s responsibility for the arrival of a highly invasive weed species.

“I find it extraordinary we would be held responsible with claims velvet leaf seeds can survive after being crushed and heat treated, go through a bird’s gut and come out still viable.”

Poultry companies were required to subscribe to an extremely strict set of rules around grain importation and the Ministry for Primary Industries had validated the process and saw no evidence of how seed could remain viable.

Read more on recent biosecurity scandals: 

“I find it extraordinary we would be held responsible with claims velvet leaf seeds can survive after being crushed and heat treated, go through a bird’s gut and come out still viable.”

Michael Brooks

Poultry Industry Assn

Imported grain volumes have ramped up significantly over the past three years and last year 180,000t of maize grain was brought into New Zealand, largely from the United States and Bulgaria, both countries with invasive velvet leaf.

NZ’s total maize grain production was estimated at 230,000t this season.

Standards for grain importation have long been a bug bear of the local grain industry.

They were highlighted last year when a major shipment through the port of Tauranga was found to be infested with equally invasive species Noogoora burr.

MPI confirmed after that outbreak that despite the weed being listed as prohibited it was still possible to import grain containing the seed, subject to rendering the seed unviable through milling and heat treatment.

Parker said despite the poultry industry’s best intentions to bring in clean grain, the process was flawed because shipments were not inspected fully on arrival.

“With all due respect to the Poultry Industry Association they may believe the process is followed but I believe something is slipping up, there is such a strong correlation there between chicken manure and velvet leaf.”

NZ’s total maize seed exports last year totalled $17.2m with $13.2m worth going to the Netherlands and some to New Caledonia.

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