Poultry and eggs will be part of this year’s Royal Cornwall Show as the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) have announced that restrictions due to bird flu are due to come to an end.

Restrictions were imposed by DEFRA on poultry and captive birds across the country in December due to an outbreak of Avian Influenza (AI). The restrictions were relaxed apart from in high risk areas during February and more recently poultry were once again allowed to go outdoors as fears of the spread of the disease eased.

However, DEFRA continued to enforce a no-gatherings of poultry policy but has just announced that this will cease on May 15.

Hence the popular poultry section, that includes a national level egg competition which draws exhibitors from across the region, will go-ahead as planned at this year’s Show which will be held at Wadebridge on June 8, 9 and 10.

Christopher Riddle, secretary of the Royal Cornwall Agricultural Association said: ’It is great news that we will be able to have poultry at the show this year, it is a really popular element of the event.

’Whilst other shows were forced to cancel their poultry content we decided to press ahead as normal, taking entries, with a view that the situation would change, which fortunately it has done so.’

Entries for this year’s poultry section at the Royal Cornwall close on May 6. Full entry details can be found by visiting www.royalcornwall.co.uk