Ten million poultry have been slaughtered in France since November to stem avian flu, a much heavier toll than in previous years due to an unprecedented outbreak in the Pays de la Loire region, we learned on Wednesday. with the Ministry of Agriculture.
This episode is the most severe that the country has experienced, accustomed to seeing cases concentrated in farms in the South-West.
Several regions are affected by the epizootic.
525 farms have been "impacted" by avian flu in the Vendée, for example, the Minister of Agriculture Julien Denormandie announced on Tuesday after a meeting with professionals in the sector at the prefecture.
“This is one of the most serious crises in our history”
Of these 525 outbreaks, 75 are still suspected cases, the ministry then clarified.
During a press briefing, the Minister deplored a "very difficult" situation and spoke of breeders "in distress" alongside whom "State services are fully mobilized".
In addition, last week, the foie gras interprofession indicated that the supply of foie gras will decrease "significantly" this year due to the "tidal wave" of avian flu which is affecting the two main French production basins.
“This is one of the most serious crises in our history”, declared the president of Cifog (Interprofessional committee of palmipeds with foie gras) Éric Dumas, during a press conference in Paris, evoking a “tidal wave -tide" of the virus in farms.