The most affected provinces
There have already been 9 outbreaks in the first half of January bird flu in Veneto, all in the Veronese area and involving turkey, laying hens or meat poultry farms. Since October 2024, 22 cases have occurred in Veneto, distributed between the provinces of Verona (12), Treviso (7) and Venice (3), according to the Istituto Zooprofilattico delle Venezie. In all of these, the health authority has introduced restrictive measures and ordered the culling of several hundred animals in infected farms.
The difficulties of the poultry sector
Furthermore, since October, 37 wild birds have been found to have the H5N1 virus, particularly in the provinces of Venice, Verona, Padua, and Rovigo; these include teals, seagulls, wild geese and ducks, mallards, but also barn owls, herons, woodpeckers, cormorants, and hawks. Given the exponential increase in outbreaks in farms, the regional councilor for Agriculture Federico Caner wrote to Minister Francesco Lollobrigida to report the serious situation in the poultry sector, which in Veneto alone involves – according to the latest agricultural census – almost 6.300 companies with a turnover of 700 million euros and a meat production equal to 30% of the national total.
Business Support
"The avian influenza epidemic - writes Caner - has caused significant damage due to the slaughter of animals and the blocking of activity due to the restrictive measures implemented by the Region in the territories affected by the epidemic. In order to support companies, also in anticipation of an expansion of the phenomenon, I ask you to activate the procedures pursuant to art. 220 of EU Regulation no. 1308//2013 relating to exceptional market support measures connected to animal diseases, with the provision of aid for indirect damages aimed at compensating companies for the lost income due to the blocking of activity imposed by the health authorities". (Source VENETO REGION)