Avian influenza: perceived production restriction in 68 municipalities in the southwest, including 8 in tents

In the face of bird flu, it’s time to fight back. After a new record season at the national level in terms of the number of infections (16 million chickens slaughtered in six months), the poultry sector decided to roll up its sleeves to better anticipate the next season and reduce the risk of poultry spreading. H5N1 virus.

The Chambers of Agriculture of the Landes, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Hautes-Pyrénées and Gers met three times between February and May in Barcelona-de-Gere to work out a roadmap and “better control of a possible flu bout,” according to Bernard Malaberadi, president. From the Chamber of Agriculture in Gers. “We have worked with the major economic groups in the waterfowl sector and unions, unions of the self-employed and the short sector,” he adds.

“The risk of spreading the virus falls more on ducks than on poultry”

Assuming a vaccine won’t be available until next year at best, The trial was launched last month In Landes and Gers, the Chambers of Agriculture expressed their desire to limit production in the most populous communes of the populations of waterfowl and birds and, therefore, a priori, the most exposed. A list of 68 municipalities (including 8 located in the center, south and west of the Khiam River) has emerged for waterfowl production, which has not yet been announced. “We decided not to give the names of the municipalities until they had been validated by the ministry and we had no funding. The roadmap is only there if the public authorities and the required districts follow us. We have identified the municipalities we considered overcrowded with respect to the thresholds we took into account (large presence of buildings), Some of the municipalities are in ducks, others in gallos,” explains Bernard Malaberadi.

The first strong measure concerns farms that are not self-sufficient, specifically those resorting to the transfer of waterfowl between breeding and force-feeding. Ducks on these farms may not be present in the 68 municipalities involved between December 15 and January 15, the period considered the most critical for a potential spread of H5N1. As a reminder, the first case identified this season was announced in mid-December in Mansiyet, in the west of Gires. The breeding period of self-sufficient waterfowl will be prolonged, from three to four weeks.

The second measure concerns the 32 municipalities that have the largest number of hatcheries and hatcheries groups. In these municipalities, force-feeding of non-autonomous waterfowl in the room will be prohibited between December 15 and January 15, only force-feeding in a self-sustainment site allowed during this period. “This means that in these municipalities where there is a lot of poultry, we voluntarily reduce the presence of ducks, because the risk of spreading the virus is more on ducks than on poultry, where there is no movement of the animals”, stresses Bernard Malaberadi.

A hopeful meeting with the Minister at the end of June

The weekly use of swabs that allow breeders to detect any traces of the virus in their buildings themselves is also recommended among the 12 measures adopted in this roadmap (7 for the long sector and 5 for the short sector). On notera par ailleurs que les producteurs autarciques complets en filière courte (du caneton à l’abattage sur site) qui se trouvent dans les 68 communes visées par ces mesures pourraient maintenir leur production sans ion, “le respect des mis de la mesureè protected.” An exception that would certainly give food for thought to proponents of this sector, convinced that it poses fewer health risks than the long-running sector in the fight against bird flu.

One thing is for sure: if these measures are adopted, self-sufficient farming will in fact benefit. So it is a complete production system that can develop well in the coming months and years. It remains to persuade the authorities to take the step. “We hope to have an appointment with the Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty at the end of the month,” concluded Bernard Mallabirade.