Defra has confirmed two new cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) in commercial poultry on 14 April 2026: a third premises near Gainsborough in West Lindsey, Lincolnshire, and another near Great Shelford, South Cambridgeshire. A 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone have been declared around each site and both flocks will be culled. (gov.uk)

These follow a case confirmed on 11 April near Market Rasen, also in West Lindsey. For producers inside control zones, the operating environment changes immediately: movements of live birds and eggs are largely prohibited without a licence, litter spreading is restricted, and detailed record‑keeping is mandatory. Premises inside a 3km protection zone must keep birds housed until restrictions are lifted by declaration. (gov.uk)

Licensing matters for anyone trading across a zone boundary. Defra’s general licence EXD541, updated on 24 March, allows table eggs to move into, within or out of a protection or surveillance zone to approved processors if conditions are met. Guidance for handling poultry meat from protection zones was refreshed on 14 April and designated slaughterhouses remain in place for HPAI zones. Movements not covered by a general licence require a specific licence and a current biosecurity report. (gov.uk)

The wider backdrop is mixed. Great Britain’s AIPZ housing measures were lifted on 9 April, so free‑range and organic birds can return outdoors unless they sit inside a protection or captive‑bird zone. Mandatory biosecurity under the AIPZ still applies and producers should treat ranges as potentially contaminated when re‑opening. RSPCA Assured and BFREPA have both advised members to prepare outdoor areas carefully before turnout. (gov.uk)

Season‑to‑date numbers help frame risk. As of 14 April, the UK has recorded 99 confirmed HPAI H5N1 cases this 2025/26 season, including 78 in England. That is far below the 2022/23 peak but up on 2023/24, and the UK remains officially not free of HPAI under WOAH rules. (gov.uk)

Prices remain elevated but stable. ONS data show the eggs CPI index at 138.4 in February 2026 (2015=100), up around 3.7% year on year from 133.4. Poultry’s CPI index stood at 117.0 in February, roughly 1.9% higher than a year earlier (114.8). For retailers and caterers, that suggests modest pass‑through pressure if local culls persist, rather than a sharp nationwide spike. (ons.gov.uk)

Farm‑gate pricing has been supportive into year‑end. Defra reports the average UK farm‑gate egg price at 148 pence per dozen in Q4 2025, up 1.2% on Q4 2024, with eggs for human consumption up 7% year on year. That headroom helps cashflow as producers adapt ranges, labour and logistics around any new control zones. (gov.uk)

Input costs are less of a headwind than a year ago. AHDB’s 7 April arable report put UK feed wheat near £175/t, while its latest cereal supply and demand update flags softer compound feed usage in pig and poultry rations amid lower grain prices. Feed is still a major cost line, but the trend should cushion margin pressure from short‑term disease controls. (ahdb.org.uk)

What changes on the ground? A broiler unit inside a 3km protection zone cannot move live birds or eggs without a licence; table eggs can move to processors only under strict general‑licence conditions. Processors handling meat from protection zones must follow specific marking rules through the supply chain, and buyers should confirm receiving sites are designated where required. (gov.uk)

For supply teams, the immediate task is mapping suppliers against the Defra zone viewer and adjusting lead times accordingly. Where exposure to West Lindsey or South Cambridgeshire is material, contract clauses around force majeure and designated‑site capacity are worth revisiting this week. For SMEs, one practical step is to maintain two packer relationships to preserve processing options if zones shift. (gov.uk)

Public‑health and food‑safety guidance is unchanged. UKHSA continues to assess the risk to the general public as very low, and the FSA says properly cooked poultry and eggs remain safe to eat. That messaging matters for consumer confidence if local availability tightens. (gov.uk)

Looking ahead, APHA assesses the risk in wild birds as medium and exposure risk to well‑run poultry units as low, provided biosecurity is tight. With migration patterns easing into late spring, cluster management and licence compliance will dictate disruption more than national epidemiology. We’ll keep tracking price and zone data if the West Lindsey cluster grows. (gov.uk)