New insurance covers voluntary slaughter of poultry

The cover has been developed in response to the additional challenges facing producers as the EU Zoonosis Regulation for commercial laying flocks comes into force on 1 January 2008. The regulation seeks to exclude eggs from salmonella positive flocks from entering the retail channel.

The cover indemnifies the producer for the value of the birds at the time of the loss and covers free range, barn and caged birds.

Cover is available for flocks of 5000 birds and above only and is subject to a site survey, underwriting and an agreed salmonella action plan. There is no upper limit to the cover.

Andy Dutton, business development manager at Powell Insurance comments: “We have worked closely with the industry to develop an insurance product that gives additional protection to egg producers as the Zoonosis Regulations come into play. While cover for natural death and named disease is common place, we believe that we are the first broker to provide cover for voluntary slaughter in the event of salmonella infection.

“While eggs from infected flocks can be heat treated to make them suitable for sale it is seldom economically viable, leaving voluntary slaughter as the only practical option. The costs incurred from voluntary slaughter can be very significant so this cover allows producers to replace their stock of birds quickly and with minimal losses.”

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