France, the European Union's third-largest poultry producer, is experiencing mass poultry deaths due to a record-setting heatwave, with hundreds of thousands of birds perishing. This extreme mortality has overwhelmed carcass collection services, prompting authorities to consider on-farm burial in Brittany and Pays de la Loire, the country's top two poultry-producing regions, which collectively account for nearly 60 percent of France's poultry flock. Farmers are advised to cover carcasses with sawdust or wood shavings to mitigate health risks while awaiting disposal, with environmental and technical checks required for on-farm burials.
The heatwave, which saw France hit 44.3 degrees Celsius (111.7 degrees Fahrenheit), is also severely impacting crops and other livestock. Farmers are reporting reduced milk production from dairy cows and significant stress on maize yields, with concerns that high temperatures during flowering could sterilize pollen and reduce grain count. Some farmers are even harvesting crops at night to avoid the intense heat and prevent combine harvesters from sparking fires in parched fields, leading to logistical challenges with silo operations.
The agricultural sector is bracing for disastrous harvests, with some farmers already reporting half the soft wheat yield needed for profitability. The consecutive extreme weather events, including drenching rains in February followed by May and June heatwaves, are posing unprecedented challenges. France is planning to declare a state of emergency for farmers to provide emergency assistance, as the ongoing heatwave continues to put immense pressure on food production and farmer livelihoods across the nation.
