- Title: Hungary's foie gras producers struggle due to bird flu outbreak
- Date: 25th January 2017
- Summary: BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (JANUARY 24, 2017) (REUTERS) ANIMAL HEALTH DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORY ASSISTANT POURING DEAD WILD DUCKS FROM BAG ONTO LAB DISSECTING TABLE VARIOUS OF LABORATORY DOCTOR DISSECTING BIRD FLU INFECTED WILD DUCK DOCTOR TAKING SAMPLE PLACING SAMPLE INTO CONTAINER (SOUNDBITE) (Hungarian) HEAD OF POULTRY PRODUCT BOARD, ATTILA CSORBAI, SAYING: "The loss of animal stock resulting from the killings and the limitations on settling stock, will severely affect the Hungarian water poultry results in 2017. Even in the most optimistic scenario of the virus disappearing immediately even then it would take 4-5 months for the basic stocks renewed and the wheel of production to get going." VARIOUS OF DISSECTING INFECTED SWAN TAKING SAMPLE FROM SWAN BRAIN PLACING SAMPLE INTO CONTAINED (SOUNDBITE) (Hungarian) HEAD OF POULTRY PRODUCT BOARD, ATTILA CSORBAI, SAYING: "If we want to preserve an important part of European cultural and gastronomical heritage, foie gras, then the EU Commission must also take steps to tackle this issue and build it into the European damage compensation mechanisms - it is clear that this virus is not disappearing but keeps re-surfacing in 8-10 years causing huge economic damages and sectoral problems." VARIOUS OF CHEF OF 'MACESZ HUSZAR' RESTAURANT TAKING OUT GOOSE LIVER ON TABLE GOOSE LIVER FRYING CHEF HOLDING PLATE WITH FRIED GOOSE LEG CHEF POURING GOOSE FAT ONTO RISOTTO CHEF STIRRING RISOTTO WITH GOOSE GIZZARD VARIOUS OF CHEF PLACING FRIED GOOSE LEG AND FRIED GOOSE LIVER ON PLATE OF GOOSE RISOTTO VARIOUS OF WAITER LAYING TABLES (SOUNDBITE) (Hungarian) MANAGER OF 'MACESZ HUSZAR' RESTAURANT, CSABA SZABO, SAYING: "We have felt that there are problems getting supplies since December as we use mostly goose liver, duck breast and goose leg in large quantities. This peaked during the holiday season, when we practically could not buy goose liver and prices soared. Now at a higher price, around 25 percent higher, we can purchase goose liver and and also goose legs as long as the suppliers have it on stock." BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (JANUARY 25, 2017) (REUTERS) INSIDE OF 'LEHEL' MARKET WOMAN GOING TO POULTRY SHOP FATTENED GOOSE LIVERS WRAPPED INSIDE COUNTER WITH HIGH PRICE TAG ELDERLY WOMAN BUYING PRICE TAGS AND PEOPLE WALKING
- Embargoed: 8th February 2017 13:29
- Keywords: bird flu foie gras Hungary farmers
- Location: BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
- City: BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
- Country: Hungary
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA00160KWUUX
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The price of goose foie gras, a signature staple of Hungarian cuisine and favourite delicacy of tourists flocking to Budapest, has surged since an outbreak of bird flu forced farmers to cull more than 3 million birds, mostly geese and ducks.
A kilo of goose foie gras cost about 13,000 forints ($44.94) in Budapest's Lehel market hall on Wednesday (January 25) morning, almost double of what it used to be before the current bird flu crisis.
Some restaurants in Budapest are facing difficulties trying to get hold of foie gras, and whole geese and ducks.
This week Hungary, which is one of the leading producers of foie gras in the world behind France, announced that it would seek European Union financial support to tackle the economic fallout from outbreaks of the bird flu virus.
Producers will also ask the European Federation of Foie Gras Producers to fight for a permanent EU financial support mechanism to be set up to tackle similar crises in the industry as the disease keeps returning in every 8 to 10 years.
"If we want to preserve an important part of European cultural and gastronomical heritage, foie gras, then the EU Commission must also take steps to tackle this issue and build it into the European damage compensation mechanisms - it is clear that this virus is not disappearing but keeps re-surfacing in 8-10 years causing huge economic damages and sectoral problems," said Attila Csorbai, head of the Poultry Product Board of Hungary.
Csorbai said that in the past Hungary produced 1,600 to 1,800 tonnes of goose foie gras per year, and even under the most optimistic estimates, output this year will only reach 50-60 percent of 2016 levels. The same is true for duck foie gras, he said.
"The loss of animal stock resulting from the killings and the limitations on settling stock, will severely affect the Hungarian water poultry results in 2017. Even in the most optimistic scenario of the virus disappearing immediately even then it would take 4-5 months for the basic stocks renewed and the wheel of production to get going."
Foie gras is made from geese and duck livers which have been fattened with grain, usually by force feeding. Sold whole or as a pate, it is considered a gourmet food in both Western and Asian cuisine.
Bulgaria also said last week it would provide aid to poultry farmers to help contain a bird flu virus outbreak.
Due to the outbreak since last November, which mostly affected waterfowl farmers in the southeastern counties of Hungary, several slaughtering houses have had to sharply reduce output, Csorbai said.
He said companies affected needed about 3 billion forints in financial support to pay wages to workers while the plants are idle, in order to preserve the jobs of around 3,000 people and ensure that production could restart once bird flu has been contained and new birds can be reared.
This could take several months, he said.
Reckoning with the total economic fallout in the poultry sector, including the indirect impact on processing firms, losses could reach up to 8-10 billion forints, he said.
In Budapest's historic Jewish quarter, the restaurant Macesz Bistro has a range of traditional Jewish and Hungarian goose and duck dishes on its menu, from goose foie gras pate to stuffed neck of goose, goose risotto and duck breast.
For most Hungarians, nothing seems to beat the traditional roast foie gras served cold in its own lard with onions.
Csaba Szabo, manager of the restaurant, said they have faced problems with supply since the middle of December, especially for goose foie gras.
"This peaked during the holiday season, when we practically could not buy goose liver and prices soared," he said.
"Now at a higher price, around 25 percent higher, we can purchase goose liver and and also goose legs as long as the suppliers have it on stock."
During the holidays, temporarily, they had to take some dishes with goose liver off the menu in order to be able to serve the goose risotto and cholent, a slow-cooked Jewish stew, both of which are "iconic" dishes, he said. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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