- Title: Duck farmers fear spread of bird flu as France begins massive cull
- Date: 6th January 2017
- Summary: SAINT-GRIEDE, FRANCE (JANUARY 6, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ROAD WITH SIGN FOR SAINT-GRIEDE VILLAGE VARIOUS OF DUCK BREEDER AND FOIE GRAS PRODUCER, ALAIN PERENCIN, EXITING CAR AND SPRAYING HIS CAR TO DECONTAMINATE IT AS HE ARRIVES ON HIS FARM WARNING SIGNS READING (French): "PRIVATE PROPERTY - NO ENTRY - BREEDING ZONE UNDER SANITARY PROTECTION - NO UNAUTHORISED ACCESS - DECONTAMINATION ZONE" VARIOUS OF DUCKS ON FARM VARIOUS OF PERENCIN LOOKING AT DUCKS DUCKS IN FIELD (SOUNDBITE) (French) DUCK BREEDER AND FOIE GRAS PRODUCER, ALAIN PERENCIN, SAYING: "It's really depressing to see the ducks ill but seeing healthy ducks in some places being taken away to be culled and incinerated despite them being in good health is even more depressing, and I put myself in the position of some colleagues who it is going to happen to. So unfortunately I'm afraid that we'll see human tragedies after that, we do see suicides happen in the farming sector." VARIOUS OF DUCKS IN FIELD (SOUNDBITE) (French) DUCK BREEDER AND FOIE GRAS PRODUCER, ALAIN PERENCIN, SAYING: "I don't see what else we could do right now to avoid another spread of the virus. We were hit last year, we're hit this year, nothing tells us it won't happen again next year. No-one can be sure that there will be another spread next year which will force us to take similar sanitary measures with the financial impact that has. It would be a catastrophe, that's for sure but let's hope it doesn't happen again." VIC-FEZENSAC, FRANCE (JANUARY 6, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MARKET IN VILLAGE VARIOUS OF BUTCHER'S STAND VARIOUS OF FOIE GRAS ON DISPLAY (SOUNDBITE) (French) BUTCHER, DAVID PALACIN, SAYING: "Of course there's an impact with the business because we're not getting the produce so we can't sell. It's a loss for our business." EXTERIOR OF LOCAL CAFE FRONT-PAGE OF SOUTH WEST FRANCE DAILY NEWSPAPER "LA DEPECHE" WITH HEADLINE READING (French): "Bird flu: how to face the crisis." STREET AND BOARD WITH "LA DEPECHE" HEADLINE READING (French): "Bird flu: Measures, but then what?"
- Embargoed: 21st January 2017 15:20
- Keywords: bird flu duck virus cull
- Location: SAINT-GRIEDE AND VIC-FEZENSAC, FRANCE
- City: SAINT-GRIEDE AND VIC-FEZENSAC, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Environment,Nature/Wildlife
- Reuters ID: LVA0015XY17WN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Duck and geese farmers in southwest France said they were worried about their livelihoods on Friday (January 6) as authorities pressed on with the culling of hundreds of thousands of birds to stop the spread of bird flu in the region.
Farmer Alain Perencin has 8,000 ducks and geese on his farm, destined to make the delicacy "foie gras", and his plot is just outside the veterinary exclusion zone.
On Thursday he was told his animals would have to be killed even though they have not been hit by the latest strain of bird flu. He has to spray his car and wear protective clothes each time he enters his farm so as not to spread the virus which French authorities say is very aggressive this year.
Perencin said he had already invested thousands of euros to prevent bird flu but that some of his colleagues were now close to bankruptcy and that even suicide couldn't be ruled out.
"It's really depressing to see the ducks ill but to see healthy ducks in some places being taken away to be culled and incinerated despite them being in good health is even more depressing, and I put myself in the position of some colleagues who it is going to happen to. So unfortunately I'm afraid that we'll see human tragedies after that, we do see suicides happen in the farming sector," he said.
France, which has the largest poultry flock in the European Union, has reported 89 outbreaks of the highly contagious H5N8 bird flu virus so far, a majority of which are in the Gers.
The French agriculture ministry said on Thursday the massive cull - which could target up to 1.3 million birds in the impacted region - is the only way the spread of the virus can be halted.
But farmers worry such outbreaks can happen year after year.
Perencin says he has already invested thousands in decontamination systems but that it might not be enough.
"I don't see what else we could do right now to avoid another spread of the virus. We were hit last year, we're hit this year, nothing tells us it won't happen again next year. No-one can be sure that there will be another spread next year which will force us to take similar sanitary measures with the financial impact that has. It would be a catastrophe, that's for sure but let's hope it doesn't happen again," said Perencin.
The move could cost the foie gras industry around 80 million euros ($84 million), foie gras makers group CIFOG said in a statement.
The crisis last year, which forced foie gras producers to halt output in 18 departments, cost them 500 million euros and led to a 10 percent rise in the product's retail price.
In the nearby town of Vic-Fezensac, bird-flu was on everyone's lips. For local butcher David Palacin, fewer ducks means less on offer on his market stall.
"Of course there's an impact with the business because we're not getting the produce so we can't sell. It's a loss for our business," Palacin said.
Southwestern France, home to most producers of foie gras made of duck and goose liver, was the centre of a severe outbreak of bird flu last year, although that involved other strains of the virus.
The H5N8 strain is highly deadly for poultry but has never been found in humans and cannot be transmitted through food. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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