The French government requisitioned slaughterhouses in the southwest to speed up the culling, and the agriculture minister will visit the region Monday.
Even with the current losses, the foie gras industry has time to prepare for year-end holidays, when most of the delicacy is consumed. Plus, there’s extra stock as Covid-19 restrictions hurt demand last year, Fruchet said.
Several Asian countries also are grappling with the virus, with South Korea culling nearly 6 million birds and India reporting cases in four states. Parts of Europe directed farmers to keep poultry indoors, and France will destroy birds within 1-5 kilometers (0.6-3.1 miles) of outbreaks. Cifog would like the size of that zone doubled.
“We see these cases in winters usually, but this year the virus has been very, very aggressive and much more dangerous than ever before,” said Paul Lopez, chairman of AVEC, an association of EU poultry processors.
--With assistance from Manisha Jha.
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.