Poultry

Between the years 2000 and 2016, companies in the Netherlands' production methods have become cleaner and they used relatively less raw materials. Companies that are involved in environmental protection and natural resources are also doing well - their production and employment opportunities increased, Statistics Netherlands reported in its Green Growth report on Monday.

Poultry farmers in the Netherlands no longer have to keep their animals caged. The bird flu risk in the Netherlands is officially gone and State Secretary Martijn van Dam of Economic Affairs decided to lift this and other measures, which have been in place for five months, RTL Nieuws reports.

Dead ducks found in two places in Overijssel were diagnosed with bird flu, water board Drenthe Overijssel Delta announced. The dead birds all carried the bird flu variant H5N8, a very contagious strand, AD reports.

Over 60 dead ducks were found in the municipality of Kampen, on Bosjessteeg. And seven were found in the municipality of Zwartewaterland in Machinevaart. Both municipalities announced that no bird flu was found in surrounding poultry farms. 

All poultry farmers in the Netherlands were ordered on Wednesday to cage and guard all their birds intended for the production of meat and eggs. This precautionary measure was implemented by State Secretary Martijn van Dam of Economic Affairs after highly pathogenic bird flu H5N8 was found in wild birds in Germany, Austria, Hungary, Poland and Switzerland, NOS reports. 

About 10 dead grebes and tufted ducs were also found in the Netherands, near Monnickendam. They died of bird flu, though further study will reveal whether it was subtype H5N8. 

There will be no new measures against bird flu in Barneveld, Gelderland. No trace of avian influenza was found on any of the 17 poultry farm within a kilometer radius of the affected farm, the Ministry of Economic Affairs announced.

Almost all the measures against bird flu have been lifted. Secretary of State Dijksma said in the Second Chamber that the only measure that remains in effect is that of indoor confinement. That means that the poultry must remain indoors.

On Sunday State Secretary Sharon Dijksma of Economic Affairs announced other measures to prevent bird flu from spreading.

A third case of bird flu has been detected on a poultry farm in Kamperveen, Overjissel. The farm has a fixed total of around 10 thousand animals, which will be culled according to European rules.

For the time being South Korea will not import any poultry from the Netherlands, reports South Korean news agency Yonhap. The reason for this ban is the bird flu that was discovered on a farm in Hekendorp over the weekend.

A positive test for bird flu has led the Dutch government to ban the transportation of all poultry products nationwide, the Ministry of Economic Affairs announced Sunday. The ban affects the distribution of poultry, eggs, poultry manure and used bedding from poultry farms, and similar items are banned from mixed farms.

Some 40,000 chickens on a Swifterban farm in Flevoland need to be euthanized, according to European regulations, because an inspection found bird flu present, according to the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs.