August 22, 2024

 

Plans to expand chicken farm in south-eastern France met with dissensions

 

 

Residents, farmers, and officials in south-eastern France are divided over plans to expand a chicken farm from 30,000 to 143,000 birds, after the project was  approved by the prefecture.

 

The Drôme prefecture granted approval for the farm near Peyrins, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes department. The expansion will enable around five times the number of hens to live on the 'mega-farm', which is run by French poultry producer DUC. Three new buildings on the site will enable the farm to produce up to 1.1 million hens per year.

 

However, some residents are firmly against the plans. Bernard Pipon, a local resident who lives a few hundred metres away from the farm, has set up a collective against the project, and said he is prepared to take the issue to court.

 

He told FranceInfo: "[This is] social and ecological nonsense. Where there are three grain silos [currently], there will be three more buildings.

 

"143,000 chickens packed in with less than one A4 sheet of paper surface area for each, is completely inconceivable," he said. "We will do everything we can so this farm does not happen, here or anywhere else."

 

The mayor of Peyrins, Philippe Barneron, refused to sign the planning permit for the project. He cited problems including a rise in pests in the area and higher vehicular traffic. The farm is also expected to consume 11,000m3 of water per year, in an area that is already affected by drought.

 

"We will have much less water, that is obvious," Barneron said. "‘We have had water restrictions in our area for two years running. We are limited when it comes to using water for irrigation, cleaning cars, and topping up swimming pools."

 

Despite the mayor's opposition, the prefect ruled against him.

 

Thierry Momé, poultry industry representative at the Drôme Chamber of Agriculture, defended the project, saying it will help to boost French chicken production and standards.

 

As for animal welfare, the farmer pointed out that, with 21 chickens per square metre, the farm complies with European standards.

 

- The Connexion