Nearly 1 million poultry had to be slaughtered in just a few weeks. Livestock farmers are worried as their livelihoods could be at risk if the situation does not improve.

Poultry farmers in the south-west of France are in a difficult situation as avian influenza is once again on the rise in the region, Le Parisien writes.

France was hit by the outbreak in November 2022. The situation improved in spring, March and April, but now avian influenza is on the rise again, particularly in Gers department, where 41 duck and chicken farms have been found infected. A further 16 sites in the neighbouring department of Landes and 2 in the Pyrenees-Atlantique region are infected. This is the second time in a few months that avian influenza has reached south-west France.

In an interview with BFMTV, a local farmer said that he was angry about the situation, because even very young animals had been affected by the disease, even though he had been very careful to protect the birds because of their age.

Grippe aviaire: 900.000 volailles abattues dans le sud-ouest pic.twitter.com/ngJpSCoTrI

— BFMTV (@BFMTV) May 23, 2023

The severity of the situation is clearly shown by the fact that 900 thousand poultry have been slaughtered in the region since the beginning of May. Farmers are particularly concerned about the Christmas period, when demand for foie gras is at its highest.

The sector urges vaccination to save the production of foie gras. Authorities promised the jab for 1 October, but the farmers will need it as early as this summer.

The epidemic must first be contained before production can resume, Bernard Malabirade, the chairman of the Agricultural Chamber of Gers department told the crew. He hopes will happen during the summer. The expert emphasized the importance of the vaccine to allow the sector to return to normal and to continue to serve the customers.

Le Parisien points out that the situation is worsening as the epidemic, which was previously concentrated in the western part of Gers department, has started to spread southwards, with a new epicentre emerging around Masseube. Melanie Martin, president of the French agricultural trade union Modef, which represents family farms, said that farmers were already worried about production at the end of the year, as sales around Christmas were essential to maintain the sector. If poultry stocks continue to decline, many farmers will face bankruptcy, Ms Martin said.

Six million poultry have been slaughtered in France since the start of the 2022-23 avian influenza outbreak, compared to 22 million during the 2021-2022 outbreak.