Chippindale Foods launches bird flu insurance with NFU Mutual

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Chickens eating from a feeder at a poultry farm -Getty Images

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England, Wales, and Northern Ireland have implemented housing orders as bird flu cases continue to rise

Chippindale Foods has teamed up with NFU Mutual to launch a bird flu benefit arrangement to support its egg producers during a challenging season.

Part of the Myton Food Group, the North Yorkshire-based brand will cover egg producers for 180 days of business interruption.

The policy, launched in September, also includes support towards secondary cleaning and disinfection costs.

The brand said it would cover 50% of the insurance cost to give farmers peace of mind as bird flu “continues to devastate poultry farms across the country”.

“As we head into another avian influenza season, we know all too well how devastating outbreaks can be for our industry,” said Harriet Hirst, senior sourcing and sales manager for eggs at Chippindale Foods. “We are therefore proud to be supporting our producers with part funding and access to the benefit arrangement.

“By sharing the responsibility, together we are building resilience and helping to safeguard the livelihoods of our producers and the continuity of supply, whilst ensuring the end-to-end long-term sustainability of our industry.”

At the time of writing there have been 45 confirmed HPAI H5N1 cases in the UK, with England accounting for 35 cases, Scotland one, Wales six, and Northern Ireland three.

Wales was the most recent of the devolved nations to declare a housing order, following moves in England and Northern Ireland, and Scotland now stands alone despite industry pressure for a blanket order to be applied across the UK.

The partnership between Chippindale Foods and NFU Mutual was hailed as a “much-needed step” by Gary Ford, the head of strategy and producer engagement at the British Free Range Egg Association.

“With avian influenza continuing to cause significant disruption across the free-range sector, meaningful and accessible benefit arrangement options are essential to safeguarding farms, protecting livelihoods, and ensuring the long-term stability of British free-range egg production,” he added. “This kind of proactive support provides producers with renewed confidence at a time when uncertainty remains high.”