Nearly 1.3 million poultry have been culled since August 1 to curb a resurgence of bird flu on French farms, particularly in western France, according to data obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture.
This report bears witness to a strong acceleration of the avian influenza epizootic a few weeks before New Year’s Eve: the latest figures released by the ministry, on November 10, reported more than 770,000 culls.
Meeting at the Ministry with representatives of the farmers
Meanwhile, the number of outbreaks discovered on farms has nearly doubled, to 91 cases, including 26 in the Vendée, 11 in Deux-Sèvres and 9 in Maine-et-Loire. A meeting with farmers’ representatives is organized at the Ministry of Agriculture on Thursday evening.
In a press release published upstream, the minority unions Confédération paysanne and Modef ask the State to subsidize breeders so that they stop fostering new chicks or ducklings in the most affected sectors. They cite in particular “the densest breeding areas in the west of France”.
This stop would reduce the number of chickens, turkeys and ducks present at one time in a territory. Animals that reached the end of their cycle could go to the slaughterhouse to be eaten, but they would not be replaced.
The virus detected in 26 European countries
The previous outbreak of the virus on French farms (end of November 2021 – mid-May 2022) had led to the culling, including preventive, of 21 million chickens, ducks and laying hens. A level never seen before.
Even before the epizootic resumed during the summer, the State planned to disburse more than one billion euros to compensate for the losses of professionals.
In Europe, 26 countries have detected the virus in their soil. Poultry meat and egg production suffers and prices soar.
Source: BFM TV
