The poultry competition at the Royal Melbourne Show has been cancelled for 2024 as the state works to get its outbreak of avian flu under control.
Subscribe now for unlimited access to all our agricultural news
across the nation
or signup to continue reading
Melbourne Royal executive general manager of agriculture Darren Keating said the decision to shelve the September event was made by the organisation's poultry committee last Wednesday.
"Due to the current avian influenza outbreak in Victoria, we have made the difficult decision to postpone the Melbourne Royal Poultry Competition for 2024," he said.
"This decision is based on guidance from Agriculture Victoria in consultation with the Victorian Poultry Fanciers Association, and our commitment to prioritising the health and safety of the Victorian poultry industry and our exhibitors."
There have been eight confirmed cases on farms across the state of H7N3 strain, with the state spending almost $20 million and more than 1m birds expected to be culled.
A case in the ACT is also expected to be linked to two other outbreaks in NSW.
Woolworths has followed other supermarkets, including Coles, in putting purchase limits in place on eggs.
SA Primary Industries Minister Clare Scriven said the state already had strategies in place to try and protect the local industry from the potential spread.
"We don't have any detections here in SA," she said.
"I'm told they are different strains between NSW and Victoria."
Ms Scriven said, as always, she encouraged producers to be cautious about biosecurity and protect their operations.
She said the government had surveillance plans in place and would continue to monitor the situation closely.
