Half of free-range Christmas turkeys have been affected during the most recent bird flu outbreak, an industry leader has warned.
The scale of the ongoing avian influenza outbreak is "unlike anything seen before", the British Poultry Council (BPC) told MPs.
The body said British food security and business continuity must be built into measures addressing the impact of the disease.
A billion birds are reared every year to provide half the meat the nation eats, according to figures by the BPC.
BPC chief executive, Richard Griffiths warned at the EFRA Committee session that the outbreak "poses a risk to UK food producers, and our food supply.”
In the session, Mr Griffiths joined turkey farmer Paul Kelly and James Pearce-Higgins of the British Trust for Ornithology to discuss the impact bird flu poses to businesses feeding the nation.
Over a million birds, and half of free-range Christmas turkeys, have been affected during this most recent outbreak, Mr Griffiths reported to the Committee.
Paul Kelly told MPs that “without a vaccine or a compensation scheme that is fit for purpose, farmers are less likely to take the risk of growing poultry.”
"Healthy domestic production is essential for our national food security," he said, "If government does not prioritise business continuity and tackle pressures to mitigate the impact of avian influenza, the consequences are likely to manifest in UK food supply."
“Risk must be expanded to include commercial viability,” added Mr Griffiths. “The conditions of this outbreak are unlike anything we have seen before.
"More farms have been affected and because of that the concept of ‘risk’ has changed. Contingency plans and measures must reflect that change.
"This is about our businesses, and ultimately our food security. We have to be able to feed ourselves.”
He warned that the challenges wrapped up in avian influenza were only exacerbating existing pressures deriving from Brexit, inflation and an ongoing labour shortages.
Production costs have increased up to 18%, Mr Kelly told MPs. Combined with resource pressures and trade issues, he said current structures must be reviewed to handle the intensity of the outbreak.
