Duck and goose farmers affected by bird flu will be compensated up to 130 million euros, thanks to a plan from the Ministry of Agriculture.
Bird flu hits poultry farmers hard. More than 4,000 farms are affected by an interruption in their production, ie 75% of French production of geese and ducks. To support producers, the Ministry of Agriculture promises help up to 130 million euros.
A flat rate will be set to compensate each animal not produced, and the ministry agrees to pay 50% of the producers’ estimates before the end of May. “A device of the same type will be put in place for poultry producers other than palmipeds (geese and ducks editor’s note) also impacted by the depopulation measures, ”announced the Ministry of Agriculture in a press release.
Other players in the sector will also benefit from the government envelope. Hatchers will receive 20 million euros, and peripheral businesses (slaughtering, processing, transport, poultry feed, etc.) could be helped up to an additional 60 million euros in a second step, after confirmation of losses in 2016.
Not up to expectations
This substantial aid could nevertheless not satisfy the breeders. If the total slaughter of the animals was not required, the forced shutdown of production associated with a crawl imposed for the period from April 18 to May 16 could put their finances in the red. According to the Interprofessional Committee of Foie Gras Palmipeds, losses could reach “200 to 300 million euros”.
“Faced with this situation and given the challenges both health and economic, it appears necessary to effectively and sustainably eradicate the disease in the palmiped industry and more broadly to regain as quickly as possible the free status of France for the whole poultry sector ”, explained in February the Ministry of Agriculture on his website while 69 cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza for poultry had been detected in 8 departments.
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