Europe 1 with AFP 6:33 p.m., December 01, 2022

The Ministry of Agriculture has indicated that nearly 1.3 million poultry have been slaughtered since August 1 to stem the resurgence of avian flu in French farms, particularly in western France.

This report bears witness to a strong acceleration of the avian influenza epizootic a few weeks before New Year's Eve.

Nearly 1.3 million poultry have been slaughtered since August 1 to stem the resurgence of avian flu in French farms, particularly in western France, AFP learned Thursday from the Ministry of l 'Agriculture.

This report testifies to a sharp acceleration of the avian influenza epizootic a few weeks before New Year's Eve: the latest figures communicated by the ministry to AFP, on November 10, reported more than 770,000 slaughterings. .

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In the meantime, the number of outbreaks discovered in farms has almost doubled, to 91 cases, including 26 in Vendée, 11 in Deux-Sèvres and 9 in Maine-et-Loire.

Slaughtering of 21 million chickens during the previous epidemic

A meeting with representatives of farmers is organized Thursday evening at the Ministry of Agriculture.

In a press release published upstream, the minority unions Confédération paysanne and Modef ask the State to subsidize breeders so that they stop welcoming new chicks or ducklings in the most affected sectors.

They cite in particular "the densest breeding areas in the west of France".

“Only a total, prolonged and compensated stoppage of the establishment and transport of poultry in the most sensitive areas will make it possible to stop the epidemic as quickly as possible”, according to them.

This stop would reduce the number of chickens, turkeys and ducks present at the same time on a territory.

Animals reaching the end of their cycle could go to the slaughterhouse to be eaten, but would not be replaced.

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The previous outbreak of the virus in French farms (end of November 2021 - mid-May 2022) had led to the slaughter, including preventive, of 21 million chickens, ducks and laying hens.

A level never seen before.

Even before the resumption of the epizootic during the summer, the State planned to pay out more than a billion euros to compensate the losses of professionals.

In Europe, 26 countries have detected the virus on their soil.

The production of poultry meat and eggs suffers, and prices soar.