“25% of French poultry could be in difficulty” by the avian flu epidemic, alert Thursday March 31 on franceinfo Joël Limouzin, president of the Vendée chamber of agriculture, vice-president of the FNSEA, in charge in particular of health risks. A phenomenon that affects 34 countries, particularly France, with more than a thousand outbreaks detected. The vast majority in breeding. The epidemic reaches the west of France, in particular Brittany. But he rules out any risk of shortage: “The whole trading system is completely turned upside down”corn “there are other productions on French territory. We will not run out of poultry”he says.
>> Will poultry soon be more expensive?
franceinfo: After the Southwest, the epidemic is affecting Brittany. Does this worry you?
Joel Limouzin: Indeed, after the South-West, which was largely affected for several consecutive years, with a dramatic situation also this winter, it is the whole Pays de la Loire part which is strongly affected, including the Vendée with more than 8 million poultry. who died, seven others [millions] which were forced to be culled preventively, even if these seven million could be valued. In short, it is a situation which today represents 25% of French poultry which could be put in difficulty.
Is it impossible to stem this epidemic?
We have seen a completely new situation this year. The entire biosecurity device has always proven itself and is still proving its worth. Unfortunately, the National Food Safety Agency demonstrated that we had four viruses present and one virus that was airborne and found in the air.
“It is brought by wildlife with an upward migration. It enters through the ventilation system of buildings or through the ventilation shutters despite all precautions.”
Joël Limouzin, President of the Vendée Chamber of Agricultureat franceinfo
This is what is most terrible for breeders, it is above all the virulence of this virus which, I remind you, has no impact on the human consumption of these poultry. Of course, all poultry that is in the food chain is completely healthy. Everything is checked there. For us, it is a fundamental point to say that farmers do not have to feel guilty. It’s in wildlife.
Are there any risks of a shortage in the long term?
This is a risk for certain sectors, particularly in the egg sector. A phenomenon that combines with the situation of the Ukrainian conflict with many imports that existed until now, especially with poultry that ended up in collective catering. So the whole trading system is completely turned upside down. There are other productions on French territory. We won’t run out of poultry. I would like to reassure, but we are going to have production costs which increase with a delay for the reestablishment of these productions because for the moment, the situation is not stabilized. We are downsized and we are putting screen systems in place to prevent it from going back to Brittany. There have been a few cases in Brittany. Brittany and the Pays de la Loire are two regions that produce a lot of animal species, from ducks, through guinea fowl, turkeys, chickens, to game and pigeons. All these small sectors that are fundamental and decisive for exports, which are now completely closed. So there is a need today to support breeders financially. The Minister of Agriculture, during the FNSEA congress, reaffirmed this. Down payments have already started to be made for farmers. Today, 100,000 jobs are affected nationally, including 34,000 in the production sector.