Bird flu danger: Christmas goose endangered in Germany!

Bird flu danger: Christmas goose endangered in Germany!

In recent weeks, bird flu has spread rapidly in Germany, and the consequences for the poultry industry are serious. More than 200,000 animals, including chickens, geese, ducks and turkeys, have already had to be killed due to the disease. In a farm in Baden-Württemberg, 15,000 animals died on October 24th. The situation is seen by many as alarming. The Central Association of the German Poultry Industry (ZDG) is urgently warning of possible supply bottlenecks for eggs and poultry meat if this development continues, Merkur reports.

Federal Agriculture Minister Alois Rainer has noted a rapid increase in infections in recent days. According to the Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI), the risk from bird flu is currently classified as “high”. The international trade situation is also making it more difficult to combat the virus, as other countries are now refusing to import poultry products from Germany. This development could exacerbate possible shortages, meaning that the population will soon have to worry about important foodstuffs, such as Christmas geese.

Signs of the crisis

Hans-Peter Goldnick, President of the ZDG, urgently calls for discussions about vaccination strategies and adjustments to animal disease law. “Securing bird populations is currently the be-all and end-all to protect our poultry industry,” emphasizes Goldnick. And for good reason: With over 50 registered cases of infection this month and a frightening increase in deaths among migratory birds, the affected companies are in acute danger. More than 1,200 cranes died in northwest Brandenburg - a clear sign that the situation for animal owners is becoming increasingly depressing..

District Administrator Ralf Reinhardt from Ostprignitz-Ruppin is already talking about possible price increases if the spread of the virus cannot be contained as quickly as possible. He is not alone in this opinion. The Greens in the Bundestag also see the spread of bird flu as symptomatic of the problems of factory farming and accuse the industry of not taking the health risks sufficiently seriously..

Outlook for the Christmas season

Despite the gloomy forecasts, there is also a little hope: the ZDG today gave a cautious all-clear regarding Christmas poultry. “The supply of Christmas geese is currently still secure,” said a spokesman for the association. But this remains a fragile situation that needs to be monitored closely..

Bird flu is not only a massive threat to poultry, but also to the economic existence of many businesses. The affected poultry farmers complain of great losses and the shocking impact on their daily lives. Christa Kühn, President of the FLI, emphasizes the importance of strict safety measures by poultry farmers so that the spread of the virus can be stopped. Because it's not just the animals that are affected - the people who work in this industry also face enormous challenges.

The coming weeks will show whether politics and agriculture can take the necessary steps to get this crisis under control. The clock is ticking and relief from the situation is needed more than ever.