“The situation is dramatic, we see that outbreaks are breaking out everywhere and we are all in the same boat”, breathes Jean-François Roudier, of the Peasant Confederation, leaving the prefecture. The fattened duck breeder has his farm in Saint-Avit-de-Vialard, four kilometers from one of the confirmed outbreaks of avian flu in the department. He participated, this Monday, April 4 in a crisis meeting at the Dordogne prefecturewith the aim of stemming the progression of the epidemic.
The prefecture and the breeders’ representatives have agreed on the extension of the reinforced surveillance zone around the contaminated farms. Until now, within a perimeter of 10 km around outbreaks of bird flu, poultry movements are strictly controlled. A new prefectural decree must appear on Tuesday to extend the zone to 20 km, in which breeders will only be able to bring animals out to be slaughtered for consumption, provided that they test negative for the virus. On the other hand, they will not be able to bring in new poultry on their farm.
A departmental road cut in Prats-de-Carlux
“Our strategy is to depopulate the department in number of animals, but without slaughtering poultry that have not reached the end of their term to be sold”Explain Yannick Francès, vice-president of the Dordogne Chamber of Agriculture : “I don’t want to hear about total slaughter. We experienced this trauma six years ago, today we have to be reasonable. We want breeders to be able to save their summer season, we insisted heavily with the prefect to take into account the economic dimension of the farms. We must save the farms”.
The department’s hatcheries are subject to specific provisions. At Prats-de-Carlux, the only goose hatchery to operate all year round in France, the surrounding farms will be tested more frequently than elsewhere. A county road was cut off to traffic to prevent transport trucks from passing by, and potentially carrying the virus with them. “This sector is part of the image of the Dordogne, it is not neutral”, insists Yannick Frances. The Dordogne has more than 500 duck breeders and about 200 poultry breeders, for a turnover that reaches almost 100 million euros.