Diseases - Festive roasts not in danger due to rise in bird flu
According to experts, the recent increase in bird flu outbreaks does not jeopardize the festive roast - poultry prices have actually fallen this year.
"I don't think this is having any effect on the market at all," said Timm Harder from the Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI) near Greifswald on the bird flu outbreaks. Far less than 0.1 percent of German poultry production is still affected. In addition, most goose farmers have adapted to the danger and brought forward their slaughter dates. "Because they already know from previous years what they can expect at Christmas."
According to the FLI, the number of outbreaks in poultry in Europe skyrocketed in November. For example, around 25,000 turkeys had to be killed following infections on a farm in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and around 24,000 on a farm in Lower Saxony. According to the latest FLI report, more than 1.6 million farmed birds were affected across Europe in November alone.
Prices are falling
Despite this, consumers can look forward to lower prices for poultry this year. After an increase due to the war in Ukraine, among other things, prices have fallen again this year, said Wolfgang Schleicher, Managing Director of the German Poultry Association. However, the price of German geese has remained higher. This has to do with demand, but also with general inflation.
With regard to the bird flu outbreaks, Schleicher said that the slaughter season was coming to an end anyway and that most turkeys were already on their way to refrigeration. In addition, turkeys had been largely spared throughout the year and prices had even fallen recently. Around 70 percent of the turkey meat consumed in Germany comes from local production.
He is not aware of any outbreaks in geese. In any case, 85 to 90 percent of the meat comes from abroad, for example from Poland or Hungary. This is mainly frozen meat, which is available in sufficient quantities. Schleicher is also not aware of any recent major outbreaks of ducks in Germany. Around 70 percent of the meat consumed in Germany comes from abroad, such as France and Poland.
Goose and duck meat from abroad is cheaper than German meat because it is a by-product of foie gras production. The production of foie gras is banned in Germany for animal welfare reasons.
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Source: www.stern.de
