S4 Ep 12 - Cracking Bird Flu

Eggs - they're an easy and usually affordable source of protein and nutrition. But walking through most Australian supermarkets lately, it's clear cracks have appeared in the industry. So why is there an egg shortage and why when you do happen to find some are they so expensive? Egg farmer and sector advocate, Danyel Cucinotta from LT's Egg Farm joins me now for the lowdown on avian influenza. We catch up with Danyel, who still finds the work on the farm deeply emotional but continues to love both the work and the land. As an egg farmer, she has experienced firsthand the significant challenges caused by bird flu. She explains how bird flu spreads and why geographical locations like Victoria are more at risk due to their position on a bird migration path. Free-range egg farms are more affected because they are exposed to wild bird droppings. While direct egg purchases from farmers may seem unaffected, supermarket supply chains are feeling the impact. She explains the EADRA Agreement (Emergency Animal Disease Response Agreement) as a cost-sharing arrangement where government and livestock industries, like the egg sector, jointly fund responses to animal disease outbreaks, with industries paying back their share over time. At an industry level, farms are still paying off the cleanup from the 2019 outbreak. The situation is more complex than simple supply and demand due to the caged vs. free-range debate and government involvement. The root cause stems from the spread of bird flu and environmental exposure in high-risk zones, and she shares that it's unclear when the situation will improve, as control and recovery take time. Danyel remains passionate about advocacy and is proud of her work on a caged egg farm. The most unexpected aspect has been that even the most biosecure farms have been affected. A common misconception is that it's unsafe to eat bird products, though the chicken meat industry remains unaffected. She offers a parting piece of advice for people to best navigate this issue.   We hope to see you back on the road soon, to learn more about how Australia grows on the next episode of Australian Farmers with Angie Asimus.   Links: Angie Asimus  Connect with @angieasimus on Instagram Partnered with Australian Farmers  Follow @australianfarmers on Instagram  LT's Egg Farm   Produced by Pretty Podcasts