Following the avian flu epidemic, a 25% drop in production of foie gras is planned for 2016. It will lead to a 20% increase in prices by the end of the year.
The consequences will be heavy for the foie gras industry after the avian flu episode. According to the Interprofessional Committee of Foie Gras Palmipeds (Cifog), the epidemic that began in southwestern France last November will lead to a 25% drop in production in 2016, and specialists are already forecasting a 15% decrease for 2017.
New standards that will be expensive
According to industry professionals, fresh foie gras will be rarer at the end of the year and above all more expensive. Indeed, its price will increase by 10 to 20%.
This price increase is the direct consequence of the bird flu epidemic that has raged in the South West in recent months. To counter the spread of the virus, bio-security measures have been put in place by the public authorities. Around 4,000 farms had to cease their activity in more than 18 departments.
The farms did not receive any palmipeds between mid-January and mid-May. The crawl space, which aimed to disinfect the farms, began on Monday April 18 and ended on May 16. This 4-month hole should, however, result in a shortfall of 270 million euros. Production and slaughter will hopefully resume on August 16.
To this will be added an expenditure of 220 million for the new standards put in place. The farms will have to install specific arrangements, separate the ducks by age group and create sanitary locks.
French people fond of foie gras
But in these dark days, producers still see a silver lining. According to a survey carried out by Cifog in early June, the French will continue to buy foie gras. And it is the fresh foie gras which will be the first place concerned because it represents 80% of the consumption during the end of year celebrations. Although 87% of consumers expect prices to go up, 8 in 10 say they plan to buy it.
These figures reassure the general delegate of Cifog, Marie-Pierre Pé: “To our great relief, the image of foie gras remains intact despite the crisis”.
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