On the farm of Julien Mora, representative of the Movement for the Defense of Family Farmers (Modef) of the Landes, in Mugron, in the south of the department, silence reigns. More duck noise. “We delivered our fattened ducks on December 27. We were supposed to bring in ducklings on January 4 or 5. It was not the case “, says Mr. Mora.
The avian flu epidemic which is once once more ravaging the south-west of France has shaken up the projects. Faced with the spread of the H5N1 virus, it was decided to suspend the placement of ducklings in areas close to the outbreaks detected. First a week, then two. And now, the return of the animals is no longer scheduled. “If I’m optimistic, I’d say the ducklings will arrive at the end of April, if I’m realistic, more like the third week of May”, estimates Mr. Mora.
Sanitary conditions have deteriorated sharply in the South-West, especially in the Landes, country of foie gras. On January 4, the Minister of Agriculture, Julien Denormandie, nevertheless estimated that even if the new avian flu epizootic was “a source of great concern”, the situation was better than that of winter 2021. He then mentioned 41 sources of contamination in farms on national territory. Two weeks later, this number was multiplied by five, to reach 216. The tension is especially strong in the Landes, with 144 identified outbreaks, but also, to a lesser extent, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques and the Gers.
Anger and misunderstanding
Faced with this rapid spread, the government has chosen to change its strategy. The services of the Ministry of Agriculture announced, Monday, January 17, a massive depopulation of farms in all contaminated areas. “Nearly 2.5 million poultry will be slaughtered, including 900,000 waterfowl”, explains Mora. Slaughterhouses have been requisitioned to carry out this operation, which should take place over three weeks.
This quota of animals eliminated is added to those already killed since the beginning of the epizootic. Knowing that the first discovery of an outbreak of infection with the H5N1 virus was made on November 27, 2021, in a farm of 160,000 laying hens in Warhem, in the North. And that his arrival in the Landes is dated mid-December. As of December 31, the Ministry of Agriculture already totaled 600,000 slaughtered poultry.
On the ground, anger and incomprehension are expressed. In a joint press release, the agricultural unions of the Confédération paysanne and Modef denounce “the bitter failure of the ministerial health policy” stating: “ The confinement, the flagship measure of the government, of the interprofessional organizations, also pushed by the majority union and the biggest players in the sector, has therefore not been able to avoid a fourth crisis in six years. »
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