An Angus farmer has hit out at Hong Kong officials for banning poultry products from the area, saying similar outbreaks nearby are being “ignored”.
The country announced poultry and eggs from Angus will no longer be imported because of an avian flu outbreak.
Hong Kong’s Centre for Food Safety (CFS) said it had imposed the restriction to protect public health.
The decision has been labelled “excessive” by Louise Nicoll – a farmer who lives near Forfar – as bans were not imposed after outbreaks elsewhere in Scotland.
Import ban on Angus poultry ‘very strange and rather excessive’
Louise owns Newton Farm Holidays, was struck by avian flu last month, forcing her to cull 100 ducks and hens which were mostly kept as pets.
The incident is the only recent outbreak of avian flu recorded in Angus, making the farmer question Hong Kong’s decision to ban imports from the area.
She said: “I don’t understand why Hong Kong would grasp Angus when there’s been no commercial outbreaks.
“It seems very, very strange and rather excessive considering that our hens and ducks were pets and our eggs were for our own use and a few locals that would get from us.
“As far as I’m aware, I’m the only farmer in Angus who’s been impacted.”
Other areas, such as Fife and Perthshire, suffered outbreaks of the virus last month without having bans put in place.
Louise added: “You just need to go on to the (Scottish) government’s avian flu list and they actually list everywhere that’s affected.
‘It just seems really, really weird’
“There’s been quite a few cases in Aberdeenshire.
“There’s not anything else in Angus that’s been affected, just us.
“It just seems really, really weird.”
The ban was announced by Hong Kong’s Centre for Food Safety on January 9 in an effort to prevent the spread of avian flu to the country.
A spokesperson said: “The CFS has contacted the British authority over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the WOAH (World Organisation for Animal Health) and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreak.
“Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation.”
The CFS did not respond to a request for comment over why Angus was selected for the ban.
