Woolworths urges customers to shop normally amid egg supplier's lockdown

Woolworths has assured customers that egg and poultry supplies remain stable despite New Zealand's largest egg producer placing hundreds of thousands of free-range chickens under lockdown following the country's first confirmed cases of the H5N1 bird flu virus.

According to a report by the New Zealand Herald, the move comes after Mainland Poultry, which supplies nearly 40% of New Zealand's eggs, introduced precautionary measures after the highly pathogenic avian influenza strain was detected in wild birds last week.

A Woolworths spokesperson said the supermarket chain has contingency plans in place to minimise any disruption to supplies.

"At this stage, our egg and poultry supply remains stable and we are continuing to put the same volume of products on our shelves.

"We encourage everyone to continue to shop as they normally would," the New Zealand Herald has quoted.

Mainland Poultry chief executive John McKay said the company manages more than 1.3 million hens across the country, including around 550,000 free-range birds. He noted that free-range eggs account for approximately 45% of New Zealand's egg market, reflecting strong consumer demand.

McKay said the company is prioritising the welfare of its birds while authorities assess the situation.

"Obviously, we care deeply about our birds," McKay said,  the New Zealand Herald has quoted.

"Let's better understand the risk, understand where it might have spread or where it hasn't spread, and then based on better understanding that risk, we can then make good decisions about what we do with those birds going forward," as quoted by  the New Zealand Herald.

The H5N1 virus was first confirmed in New Zealand on Wednesday after it was detected in a wild brown skua found on Petone Beach in Lower Hutt. A second case was reported on Friday in a native kāhu, also known as a swamp harrier, in the Wairarapa region.

While authorities continue to monitor the spread of the virus, retailers and producers have reassured consumers that there is currently no immediate impact on the availability of eggs and poultry products,  the New Zealand Herald has reported.