Catching up with EIT

The first stop on the itinerary was to catch up with our trusted distributors for the region EIT. Derek met with EIT owners Mohamed AlSaif and Mohamed Ghefari, alongside Barkat Rajani and the wider team based in Saudi who have been instrumental in bringing Addfield into the Middle East, it was a great opportunity to sit down with the team to discuss previous projects and how we can continue to support them going forward.

These kinds of visits are often seen as unnecessary, but they matter greatly and offer much more value than simple phone or video calls. Maintaining strong relationships with our partners all over the world is just as much a priority as providing robust and reliable incinerators and cremators.

Derek was able to experience the famous Saudi hospitality, with traditional dishes such as Mandi Rice Platters and mint leaf tea. There is a whole other world outside of the UK and visiting worldwide distributors and partners helps us understand their cultures and be involved, that way we know how we can help customers within that area of the world even better.

“The team at EIT are exactly the kind of people we want representing our brand. We have worked together for many years now and have collaborated on some really exciting projects. On top of that Barkat and the team have visited us many times and also joined us exhibitions such as WHX (formerly Arab Health). They are a real asset to us at Addfield.” – Derek Carr, Managing Director.

A region investing in its future

Saudi Arabi is currently going through one of the largest developments, through investment lead by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), major initiatives like NEOM and further GIGA projects are transforming the region’s infrastructure at a scale that we cannot ignore.

Jeddah is home to the King Fahd Fountain, the tallest fountain in the world, and with plans for the Jeddah Tower which is expected to be the tallest building in the world. Across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, these investments are driving growth in tourism, international business and creating more jobs for residents.

With this growth, comes an increase in responsibility to stay sustainable through waste management practices. As Saudi continues to invest in these improvements, it’s only fitting that Addfield’s world-leading incinerators are available to support that growth.

C200 in action onsite

Derek and the EIT team met with several organisations working with the National Centre for Waste Management (MWAN), who are responsible for setting waste management standards across the region.

One of the highlights was visiting REVIVA, a government owned waste management site operating under Saudi Investment Recycling Company (SIRC). SIRC plays a huge part in Saudi’s goals for a sustainable waste management future. Operating across the whole Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, they needed the equipment that can keep up with the waste load and so the Addfield C200 waste incinerator and filtration system was installed at the site in 2024 and continues to support disposing of waste generated across Saudi.

Supporting key industries across Saudi Arabia

Working alongside EIT, Addfield continues to support a wide range of sectors across Saudi Arabia including:

• Hazardous waste management
• Port waste facilities
• Airports
• Remote locations
• Blue chip companies
• Food and beverage industries
• Police departments
• Hospitals and healthcare facilities

At Addfield, we don’t just supply the equipment. We are proud of our emphasis on servicing, maintenance and long-term operations. Regular visits helps us fulfill those, whether it be from our engineers or our sales team.

Looking forward to the future

As Saudi continues its journey of growth and development the demand for reliable waste management solutions increases. Through our partnership with EIT, Addfield is proud to play a part in helping organisations across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia manage waste safely, efficiently and sustainably.

For Addfield, taking the time to fly across the globe gives us valuable insight to how we are supporting waste management issues and even farm biosecurity throughout the world. When you see a machine you helped build operating in real world situations, you come back with a renewed sense of purpose.

If you would like to find out more about Addfield’s medical or clinical incineration range, or explore how our machine could work for your facilities, get in touch with our team today at sales@addfield.com.

Although it is outlawed in the UK and many other countries, it is still legal in much of the US to dispose of fallen stock however the farmers want, and with around 1.88 million farms currently in the Country, the devastation could be huge.

When animals are buried, they don’t just go away, the waste can seep into the soil, contaminating the groundwater and land. It doesn’t just put your farm at risk, it can endanger your community and local wildlife like scavenger animals, potentially spreading the disease wider than locally. Outbreaks like BSE (Mad cow disease), Foot and Mouth, and Avian Flu can all be linked to poor disposal practices.

Open fires are also another option that may seem quick and easy but also have long-term affects to the environment and your land.

The hidden dangers of composting

So, what exactly is composting when it comes to fallen animals?

The term composting is usually associated with recycling organic waste into plants and soil to support healthy growth of crops. When its deceased livestock being composted, it’s a whole different story.

While still organic waste, fallen stock can carry diseases and bacteria’s that are highly infectious and scavenger animals eat or transport the waste, spreading the diseases.

During a show in 2026, and we were surprised to hear that farmers in the UK and Ireland suggested that they are still disposing of their waste in a similar manner. There is also the option of Maggot farms, however this is a more controlled version of composting that is controlled, is a common practice, but it still not ideal.

Watch this shocking video

https://youtu.be/fAzL-N9dUds

In this video, you can see security cameras show a farmer in the US disposing of many deceased chickens, and although we are not sure what these chickens died of, we cant rule out that they didn’t die of Avian Flu.

If this is the case, when you see the various amounts animals feasting on the remains, from birds who can spread disease as far as they can fly, to foxes, racoons and cats who can spread diseases to neighboring farms, infected their flock.

You can also see the farmer returning to the pile and walking through the waste, and possibly affecting his healthy, remaining chickens. The farmer may follow sanitary cleaning of his footwear and clothes, but it is not guaranteed that infections are still not present.

The aftermaths of the German Foot and Mouth outbreak

To put it into perspective in early 2025, Germany experienced a devastating Foot and Mouth outbreak on farms near berlin. Within weeks, a nationwide meat export ban was in place and took it’s toll. Although the crisis was contained within 5 months, the economic damage was already done, farmers lost income, markets were disrupted and consumer confidence took a hit.

A safer solution

The solution is simple, and it’s one that we have been preaching for over 40 years. Onsite incineration is the most effective and safest way to ensure disease doesn’t spread. Particularly Addfield agricultural incinerators burn at higher temperatures of 850°C / 1562°F which completely destroys pathogens. What’s left is clean ash that can be safely disposed of or even spread back on the land without risk.

If you thought about burying medical waste, it’s safe to assume you would think that the practice would be harmful to the environment and would be a very bad idea. You can probably picture medical waste being incinerated in a clean, safe environment. The same would go for animal waste.

When COVID 19 was ripe, and anxiety about our safety was high, if our waste was simply buried think of the outroar that would cause throughout the UK. We were fortunate enough to be able to incinerate the waste caused by COVID 19, however some developing countries could only resort to dumping the waste while waiting to dispose of, extending the risk of spreading COVID 19.

Learning from the past

Back in the 80s, burying infected waste was a common practice in the UK and took part in causing the Foot and Mouth outbreak that occurred and was the main reason why Addfield is here today, as it was during the 80s outbreak that the first Addfield incinerator was built! Since then, incineration with Addfield has become the trusted standards for most farmers, who want to stay safe and successful.

Discover Addfield agricultural incinerator range for your needs

Burying and composting might feel like the ‘easy’ option short term, but the risks to your farm, your animals and your community are too high and can cause complications in the long run. With modern solutions like Addfield incinerators that release no odours or smoke, you can handle animal waste safely efficiently and with piece of mind, knowing you’re protecting your livelihood. Make the right decision today and contact Addfield today to learn which solution is perfect for you.

Innovation has always been at the forefront of Addfield successful growth, and this is true more than ever with the recent Engineering, Procurement and Commissioning (EPC) Partnership that they have entered into with AGS Energy Ltd, a fast growing expert in the field of creating renewable energy through Gasification bringing the technology to an entirely new section of the industry.

Through its own patented autothermic small-to medium-scale gasification technology, AGS is making opportunities for Pyrolytic based Waste-to-Energy and Biochar production accessible to organisations across the UK, Europe, and international markets where it was previously unavailable.

This partnership enables AGS Energy access to our award winning manufacturing team to develop refractory kilns for their Gasification plants. Providing AGS with access to more than 40 years of manufacturing excellence, the Addfield team will be working side by side on future projects ensuring the same high standard of manufacturing is achieved.

“Recognising the opportunities available for problematic waste streams around the world and the need for renewable energy the collaboration made real sense to partner with AGS as an EPC contractor where we can support with our industry knowledge and manufacturing experience to bring this solution to market”

We already have large scale installations generating hot water, steam and electricity saving our customers hundreds of thousands on fuel every year. With this partnership we can now offer this opportunity to more customers that would not have been able to access this technology in the past, continuing our goals towards net zero, and giving customers the option to unlock ‘carbon credits’ and achieve increased energy independence. This is a very exciting opportunity for us at Addfield and AGS Energy.” Derek Carr, Managing Director, Addfield Environmental Systems Ltd.

“Our partnership with Addfield Environmental Systems is an important milestone in expanding access to practical and scalable Waste-to-Energy solutions for organisations seeking lower-carbon, more resilient waste management options. AGS Energy’s patented autothermic gasification technology has been specifically designed to deliver renewable energy and resource recovery from suitable waste streams at a scale that many organisations can realistically adopt. Together with Addfield’s proven engineering, manufacturing expertise, and trusted market position, we are creating a powerful platform to help customers reduce disposal costs, strengthen energy independence, support net zero goals, and realise the wider environmental and commercial benefits of advanced thermal treatment.”
Edward McNamara, CEO, AGS Energy

This EPC partnership will give customers access to:

• Cutting edge technology.
• Proven manufacturing and technological expertise.
• Ability to generate clean energy as a byproduct.
• Access Carbon Credits and reduce Carbon footprint.
• Faster project completion timing.
• Increased investor confidence for structured SPV/Boo models.
• Reduce operational costs for years to come.

To learn more about Addfield Environmental Systems Ltd contact sales@addfield.com and visit www.addfield.com

To learn more about AGS Energy Ltd contact info@agsenergy.eu and visit https://agsenergy.eu/

While wood burners are not a modern invention, they are becoming increasingly popular again and can be found in many homes in the 21st century, either as a fireplace or a stove. Wood burners, just as the name implies, burns wood in order to generate heat, and the unit usually consists of just a combustion chamber and chimney.

If we travel back in time to when wood burning fires were at the centre of the home, with the whole family crowded around the stove to warm up and cook, you can imagine the smoke filling the room!

Shortly after, a stove/chamber was designed to hold the fire in the corner of the room, followed by the invention of the chimney, to vent the smoke out of the room.

Even today with modern upgrades, it has been recorded how bad a wood burner can be for the environment, with the emissions released from using them, especially if multiple houses are using them for hours on end to heat their homes or cook their food.

Incineration and cremation may sound similar to wood burning, as both include burning items in a combustion chamber at high temperatures, but that is where the similarity ends.

While incinerators and cremators may not be as old as wood burners, we still have many years of development that has led to the most environmentally sustainable technology designed, throughout the whole Addfield range.

Let’s take pet cremation for example. Pet cremation as a business has boomed immensely over the years with many industries diversifying their business to include pet and horse cremation services. Many businesses will install a pet cremator in residential areas or on their own land if available. When people hear the word ‘cremator’ they may be concerned about what the process is doing to the environment, especially if they live near where the cremator is installed. We are often approached by concerned residents, and we are able to put their minds at ease.

A typical wood burner is a fairly simple system. It consists of one chamber and a chimney with logs and other materials being thrown in and ignited at temperatures fluctuating from 360°C/680°F to a peak of around 600°C/1112°F. These temperatures are not hot enough to produce clean gases. The gases, smoke and odours produced during combustion are released directly into the atmosphere without any cleaning. This is why you will see smoke billowing from chimneys and smell the distinct odour that comes from it in some residential areas.

In comparison, all Addfield incinerators and cremators are purposely built to handle a whole range of waste types safely and environmentally friendly. The pet and agricultural range burn at temperatures as high as 800°C/1470°F in the primary chamber, some equipped with additional hot hearth technology, heating the chamber from above and below to ensure full cremation of the animal. Whilst our medical and more complex machines burn as high as 850°C/1562°F. These temperatures are high enough to release cleaner gases into the secondary chamber.

Not included on a wood burner, the secondary chamber acts as a filtration gas cleaning system, with temperatures reaching 980°C/1800°F for the pets and animal machines, 1100°C/2012°F on the medical side. A 2 second retention time in the secondary chamber is the time the flue gases take to travel through the secondary chamber to ensure complete cleaning.

The secondary chamber always reaches operational temperature before anything in the primary chamber starts to burn, so any gases released from the cremation or incineration are treated from the very start of the process. The machine will never start the burning process until it can safely clean the gases.

Where a wood burner is designed to released heat out of the chamber, it is quite the opposite for an Addfield machine. Each chamber is lined with an advanced brick refractory, our alumina infused fire brick holds and releases the heat back into the chamber, behind the brick we have two further layers made up of insulation brick and board, these layers block the heat from escaping meaning it can only go one way from the fire brick and that’s back into the chamber. This means no heat is lost from the chamber, completing the cremation using 40% less fuel and is significantly safer to operate compared to alternative solutions.

This technology is what makes Addfield machines smoke and odour free, the most you are likely to see coming out of the chimney is a faint heat shimmer, which is very miniscule compared to the amount of smoke from a wood burner.

Even with the latest regulations that came into effect in 2022, meaning that all wood burners had to meet certain environmental standards and guidelines, Addfield incinerators and cremators are proven significantly more environmentally friendly due to the added filtration of the secondary chamber and brick lined refractory.

Addfield has always prided itself on its accessibility and dedication so if you have any question on the real world impact of one of our machines in your neighbourhood, please feel free to reach out to us at sales@addfield.com

The first day focussed on the High Capacity and Waste to Energy approaches to sustainable waste incineration delivered by the team at Addfield Projects. The second day presented a number of exciting innovations coming to the world of pet cremation from AES that are launching this spring. Welcoming visitors from the 27th to 28th March the two days were an incredible success keeping both teams busy as visitors travelled internationally and nationally to see the future of waste management and cremation.

“This was a great opportunity for us to celebrate not only the opening of our new facility for Addfield Projects, that they only moved into a few months ago. This new site enables them to build these massive plants from start to finish all in one place which is a real boost to the business. It was also a great opportunity to invite and meet with so many new and expanding pet cremation businesses to show them the latest upgrades that we have been working on behind the scenes, and help them to choose the perfect cremator for their business needs. This was a really impressive turn out over both days and the two teams did a tremendous job putting the days together.” Derek Carr – Managing Director, Addfield.

Addfield has always prided itself on quality, continuously reinvesting to develop new and more sustainable approaches to thermal treatment that ultimately benefit the end user and the environment, no matter what industry they are in.

Having made incredible progress in the past decade, from a business and operational perspective achieving record growth in 2024 for both AES and Addfield Projects, it was agreed that there was no better time than the start of Spring to celebrate the future opportunities that lay ahead.

The feedback from the visitors reflected how seeing the facilities up close was incredibly useful when thinking of their own project.

Kicking off the first day, Addfield Projects exhibited a completed, high-capacity waste to energy facility ready to be tested before shipping to Guernsey to manage the islands general waste. Being able to take a tour around a completed facility is not an opportunity that comes up often and so attendees came from across the country from councils, consultants and private businesses. As large as it was the team are set to begin work on a machine two and a half times larger very soon. Visitors had the opportunity to speak with the many experts at Addfield Projects who will be designing and building their projects, and learned about previous installations that may be similar to their needs.

The second day, the team focussed on some of Addfield’s more compact solutions in comparison. Showcasing two new approaches to pet cremation. An industry achieving enormous growth in the past 5 years from private and individual businesses. Beginning with the newly redesigned PET200 one of the worlds most popular solutions for pet crematoriums displaying for the first time a number of updates to increase performance and operational comfort. Alongside that was the A50 IC 2 a four chambered pet cremator for the larger operator which in this instance was fitted for the first time with a number of additional options which can lead to an increase in throughput of more than 30% in operation. Attended by existing and start up customers some flying all the way from the Middle East for this opportunity to see what’s new.

This was a perfect way to welcome in Spring and the new financial year. The success of the events have reinforced the decision to continue to organise more in the future. It was great opportunity for the two companies to come together to share the celebration of the combined success over the years and commitment to providing the most robust, reliable and efficient incinerators and cremators. Dedicated to our customer values, the open days allowed Addfield to present several 1-2-1 sessions simultaneously ensuring every customer need and question was met – another reason why they say that Addfield is Simply Built Better.

Since 1982, Addfield has evolved hugely through dedication and teamwork, pushing itself to become global leaders in the sustainable waste management industry. The Addfield name can be found in more than 150 countries, showing the worldwide reach that the companies have reached.

For more information about Addfield Environmental Systems, visit www.addfield.com

To learn more about Addfield Projects, visit www.addfieldprojects.com

Many farmers know the stressful time of year that is lambing season, there are many things to plan and prepare for months ahead. You need to factor in the possibility of diseases that could potentially devastate your farm during this period, making biosecurity a key focus.

Common diseases during lambing season.

Watery Mouth Disease (WMD) is a severe bacterial infection that can affect lambs at the very start of their life, with most cases of WMD occurring in the 6 to 48 hours of being born. The causes of WMD can be due to many things, from the ewe’s milk lacking nutrients like colostrum, stress, weather conditions or infection from contaminated tools or bedding.

The symptoms of WMD can be identified by the lamb showing signs of drooling, this is the most common symptom to look out for. The lamb may also appear more sluggish and more reluctant to feed.

If left untreated, WMD can cause malnutrition or death of the lamb.

Due to infection, if you have a lamb showing these signs, fast action is required to prevent putting the rest of your livestock at risk.

Bluetongue Virus has spread this year.

Bluetongue Virus (BTV) is a virus transmitted by Ceratopogonidae (biting midges) which is a family of insects that are usually around Europe in the Autumn season. You are probably wondering how this can affect lambing season which usually takes place around Spring time. BTV can infect lambs before they’re born if the ewe is infected while pregnant.

Farmers have been advised that if their lambs are born small or with deformities or are stillborn, there could be a chance that they were infected with BTV in utero.

Although BTV cannot affect humans, outbreaks of the virus on many UK farms can cause problems with trade restrictions. This highlights the importance of biosecurity not just during lambing season but year-round.

2024 saw an increase of the virus spreading across many British farms, and not only affecting lambs or sheep, but also cattle, goats, deer, and even alpacas.

Prepare yourself.

There are many other diseases that can cause issues during lambing season, and while every farm will have their own obstacles to overcome, it’s in everyone’s best interest to be prepared and bio secure. Make sure supplies have been stocked and easily accessible. Provide clean and disinfected lambing sheds and pens to minimise bacterial infections like WMD.

Act quick when disposing of contaminated materials or carcasses, to reduce the risk of spreading diseases, keep your farm clean and saving you time in the long run.

Addfield have worked with many farmers in over 40 years of being in the industry, and we understand the importance of being organised when it comes to lambing season. Many farmers opt for onsite incineration with an Addfield agricultural incinerator when disposing of lamb carcasses, as it offers them convenience, savings on cost & up to 40% on fuel and gives them more time to focus on their remaining livestock.

Act fast now and speak to an agricultural incineration expert today or discover our range of machines: https://addfield.com/machine-categories/animal-incinerators/

We love to shout out about Addfield being an international name and how we’re helping so many countries with their waste disposal needs, but none of that would be possible without our international representatives, who are dotted around the map and have the knowledge about their specific region to help Addfield make a global impact from our factory in the heart of the United Kingdom.

Romeo, of Waste Incinerators Canada/HealthCeuticals, is our Canadian representative who has been working with Addfield for over a decade and has supported on many projects that have been installed in Canada.

Although Romeo has been in collaboration with Addfield for around 12 years, he only recently had the opportunity to fly to the UK, and visit our factory in Burntwood, Staffordshire. Accompanied by his wife Sara, he spent a few days touring our factory, attending meetings about the exciting future for Addfield in Canada, sightseeing in Lichfield, and even had the time for a short interview.

During this interview Romeo talked about the different types of industries Addfield support in Canada, from pet cremation to cannabis incinerators, and spoke about Addfield Projects who are a separate entity from Addfield Environmental Systems, that focus on the high capacity, complex waste disposal.

He also discusses his visit to Addfield, seeing firsthand the engineers working on the machines, Romeo says, “You can see every section of the process, and how they are mostly handcrafted and I believe it’s the most dedicated technology and the most robust incinerators right now on the globe.”

Agriculture is one of the biggest sectors in Canada, with biosecurity being very important for regulations, Romeo recognises that Addfield craft the most compliant and bio secure agricultural incinerators in the world to meet the Canadian regulations.

Romeo is also excited for the future between Addfield and Waste Incinerators Canada, and is very optimistic about the projects that we have in the pipeline.

You can watch Romeo’s full interview on YouTube to hear more about Addfield in Canada.

Similar to the COVID-19 outbreak, MPOX has travelled across continents, infecting many countries and causing a strain on the hospitals and healthcare system, and as of late 2024, has now reach the United Kingdom, with hundreds of confirmed cases. In DRC, many young children have contracted the disease and doctors & nurses are working tirelessly to see to every patient. Vaccines have been donated from many disease control foundations. One thing the healthcare system shouldn’t have to worry about is the medical waste created that could potentially spread the disease to more people.

The safest and most effective way to dispose of medical waste, and ensure that no germs will be spread is through incineration. Addfield’s medical waste incinerator range, particularly the MP machines, ensure that complete incineration has taken place and eliminates any disease that gloves, syringes or masks may have carried.

We have been helping tackle global problems just like this for many years and worked with many different international aid agencies to provide the most sustainable incineration technology to developing countries, just like the MP200 medical pathological waste incinerators that we are producing for the DRC specifically to help deal with this growing problem.

As we face future health threats, sustainable medical waste disposal will be a crucial part of global healthcare. By using efficient technologies like Addfield’s MP200, countries can better protect their populations and prevent diseases from spreading further. If you want to learn more about our medical incinerator range, please get in touch today or visit: https://addfield.com/machine-categories/medical-incinerators/

June marked a significant milestone for the team as we were awarded the Express and Star Business Awards for 2024 (ESBA24) award for ‘Small to Medium Business of the Year’. This year held at the Wolverhampton’s Civic, the event was a night to remember as we celebrated in the company of a number of other outstanding businesses.

The night started with a reception prior held at the Wulfrun Hall, with a black-tie dress code, an electric atmosphere and the team letting their hair down with a lot of selfies to show for it. The main ceremony included a diverse range of companies in their own fields and it was an honour to be recognised amongst other distinguished winners of the night.

The SME of the Year award recognises small to medium businesses who demonstrate ongoing success, and as a company with its roots in a small town in the West Midlands, that now has installations across more than 150 countries this is fantastic recognition of the success we have recently achieved.

“It was a wonderful evening and a real privilege to have been able to bring our team together from across all departments to celebrate our success together. Whether we had won or not it was going to be a celebration just being shortlisted but when we heard our name read out as the winner it was just the icing on the cake of a great evening. We are really proud of the impact we have been able to have on a global scale from our head office in Burntwood Staffordshire.” Ian Gilbert, Sales and Marketing Manager

As we reflect on this recent achievement, we really could not have done it without every single member of the team, from in-house employees to our international distributors. This award is not just about celebrating our past achievements, but to also inspire us to strive for further excellence in the future.

As winter begins to settle the dangers of Avian Flu really hit home across the UK.

A state of emergency has been declared across the UK this winter by the UK Chief veterinary Office Christine Middlemiss as Avian Flu continues to spread across the country, affecting wild and captive birds alike.

Poultry farmers are being warned to be vigilant and to be prepared for what could be a potentially devastating endemic of the latest mutated strain of the H5N8 virus, which has been causing major difficulties across Europe recently.

The dangers of infection and the spread of this disease are becoming apparent through the clear impact that it is having on the wild bird population. Which are being noticeably affected and reports are increasing of multiple swan deaths being linked to this latest virulent strain of Bird flu that is sweeping across the UK.

Where are the latest Avian Flu outbreaks?

In Worcestershire, rescuers have taken care of dozens of dying birds and in Blackpool, many Swans and Cygnets have been found dead in Stanley Park. In Dawlish in Devon, postmortems have been completed on several swans and cygnets which confirmed the worst fears that the latest strain of Avian Flu H5N8 was responsible.

All of the sites affected in the UK are hundreds of miles apart, highlighting the ferocity of this latest strain. It’s believed to have been brought in by migrating wild birds travelling across Europe. This strain was responsible for the mass and widespread deaths of birds during 2016 and 2017.

To combat the fears that this virus could potentially wipe out massive numbers of chickens, turkeys, and other poultry stock across the UK, the government has declared a special Avian Influenza Prevention Zone in England, Scotland, and Wales. This zone coincides with the increase in responsibilities for farmers to manage their own biosecurity measures.

Avian Flu Outbreaks in chicken farms and broiler houses are being monitored and already tens of thousands of birds have been culled in broiler houses in Cheshire, Kent, Leicestershire, and Herefordshire.

Although most noticeable in the wild swan population this latest strain of Bird Flu has also been responsible for deaths in Pink Footed Geese, Buzzards, Curlews, Greylag Geese, and Canadian Geese, indicating just how virulent the disease can be crossing from species to species.

Although Wild birds often get the blame for spreading the disease, in most instances they are infected with the virus from coming into contact with infected poultry, which in many instances are being moved from region to region.

As always the importance of following strict biosecurity measures is a priority to poultry farmers. It’s required for farmers to keep strict distancing measures in place to prevent mixing between wildfowl and captive birds.

Across the UK in 2020, new regulations have recently been implemented affecting all poultry farmers. Regardless of whether they have hundreds or thousands of birds, all farmers are now legally required to adhere to the new biosecurity measures to protect themselves and their livestock.

Avian Influenza Exclusion zone

The most notable points of the New Avian Influenza Exclusion zone include:

• Keepers with more than 500 birds must restrict access to their site for non-essential visitors.
• Workers’ clothing and footwear must be changed before entering bird enclosures.
• Site vehicles must be cleaned and disinfected regularly.
• Make areas, where birds are kept, are uninviting to wild birds, for example removing wild bird food sources and placing netting over ponds.
• All livestock must be fed in enclosed areas
• Movement between enclosures must be kept to a minimum.
• Clean and Disinfect any contaminated areas.

In fact, if you are aware of the biosecurity measure in place on pig farms, you will see the similarity in many elements of the guidelines.

To maintain biosecurity, we would always recommend installing a dedicated agricultural incinerator onsite to ensure that farmers are able to complete many of these steps easily. By handling and disposing of fallen stock onsite rather than waiting for a collection agency removes risks of contamination spreading. Incinerating onsite removes the need for collection agencies, which can potentially bring infection onto your farms.

As such, we have already been in discussion with several of our regular customers on how to enforce biosecurity measures on-site alongside installing additional machines across more sites. In doing so, we aim to help them reduce the number of visitors and increase the speed and efficiency of disposing of any infected, fallen, and culled animals.

If you believe that you may have come into contact with or witnessed a bird with Avian Flu you must either contact DEFRA as a member of the public on 03459 335577. Alternatively, if you are a keeper of birds you should notify the APHA on 03000 200 301 as soon as possible.

For further information please visit the following links

How to spot avian flu – Click Here

Guardian article on avian flu impacts on Swans – Click Here

UK Government guidelines on avian flu – Click Here

New UK biosecurity regulations – Click Here

BBC reporting on UK broilerhouse infection – Click Here

To learn more about the agricultural range of incinerators from Addfield click here.