February 16, 2006

Poultry sales in Italy falls by 70 percent due to bird flu fears

Poultry sales in Italy fell 70 percent in the two days before Feb 15 as public fears over the discovery of the bird flu virus in the country rise.

The Fedagri association, which has membership from 90 percent of Italian poultry prouducers, has asked the government to free up the promised EUR20 million in public aid for the sector.

Fedagri Chairman Paolo Bruni said the sector is close to collapse and will not make it through another two weeks in such conditions.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Gianni Alemanno has assured Italians on Feb 15 that eating Italian poultry posed no health risks.

Tests have shown that eight wild swans found dead in southern Italy died of the H5N1 virus.

The Italian Farmers Confederation said a recent nationwide poll revealed that eight out of ten consumers would not buy poultry. The confederation has urged the government to launch an advertising campaign to dispel public fears about the bird flu.