The situation is of great concern to farmers. Avian influenza, which reappeared early in the South-West in early May, continues to accelerate its progression with more than 50 outbreaks identified in duck and chicken farms, particularly in the Gers, we learned from concordant sources on Monday.
Classified as high risk since November 2022, the France had experienced a lull in the epizootic in March and April, even falling to "moderate risk" at the end of April. But the episode resumed in May, much earlier than usual. According to the agricultural union Modef, 900,000 animals have been slaughtered in the Landes, Gers and Pyrénées-Atlantiques since the beginning of May, making it "a major crisis and not just a resurgence of the virus", according to Christophe Mesplède, vice-president of the union in the Landes.
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"We are in the management of a huge crisis, a real viral fire," said Bernard Malabirade, president of the Gers Chamber of Agriculture, where 41 outbreaks of avian flu have been counted. In this department, where the situation is "evolving" according to him, a new epicenter has appeared near Masseube, in the south of the department, where several outbreaks have been detected. "The situation is not good, it is even out of control," says Bernard Malabirade. "The virus previously concentrated in the west of the department now extends to the south," confirmed the prefecture of Gers, referring to the first cases identified near the Landes in early May.
Worries for Christmas
In the neighboring department of Landes, 14 outbreaks have been detected, according to figures from Modef, against only four on May 17. "The contamination is massive," the union said on Monday.
While the arrival of ducklings on farms is due to take place in June, farmers are already worried about end-of-year production, which is essential to maintaining the economy of the sector. "Christmas is being played out now and the gravity of this crisis is playing out today. If depopulation continues, we are dead," says Mélanie Martin, president of Modef. During this 2022-23 epizootic, six million poultry were slaughtered in France according to the Ministry of Agriculture, after the slaughter of 22 million poultry in 2021-2022.