Free-range poultry farmers will have to contend with placing temporary labelling on products as the mandatory housing of birds has been extended.

The Department of Agriculture has confirmed that it will extend the confinement period for birds under the Avian Influenza Precautionary Confinement of Birds Regulations 2016 until 30 April 2017

The restrictions were imposed on 23 December to avoid contact with wild birds amid bird flu outbreaks, the latest of which was confirmed in Galway on 24 February.

Under EU rules, free-range birds can be kept indoors for a maximum of 12 weeks, which means they would lose the label on 17 March if restrictions remain in place.

According to the Department of Agriculture “after this date, processors, producers and retailers in the free-range egg and poultry sector must make alternative labelling arrangements in order to remain in compliance with the relevant EU provisions on marketing and labelling of their products.” The Department said it would contact relevant authorities in the sector.

Ongoing discussions have centred on stickers to be applied over free-range packaging in this event. In a consultation document seen by the Irish Farmers Journal, the Department suggested labelling the products as “barn eggs” and “barn-reared” poultry meat, with a mention that they are from birds “temporarily housed in line with EU and Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine requirements”.

Farmers are wary of introducing the barn category in Ireland, under which only six egg producers and one meat producer are currently registered. Instead, they are looking at Germany and the Netherlands, where the sole mention of temporary housing has been deemed sufficient.

IFA poultry chair Nigel Renaghan said: “We cannot have a situation where free-range birds are rebranded as barn-reared eggs. These is no market for these types in the Republic of Ireland. These birds need to remain as free range but classed as being temporarily housed. That’s the only way we can protect our sector,” Renaghan said.

Marks and Spencer has been using such stickers since mid-February. The retailer, which sells only free-range eggs, currently labels them as “laid by hens temporarily housed in barns for their welfare,” including Northern Irish eggs sold on both sides of the border.

Production cost

A spokesperson for the retailer said it had not changed the price paid to producers, acknowledging that “the production cost has not changed”. Other retailers contacted by the Irish Farmers Journal said they would comply with Department of Agriculture requirements but did not answer questions on their individual labelling and pricing plans should farms lose their free-range status.