Avian flu heightens consumer poultry fears.Poultry sales across Europe are beginning to be affected by consumer concerns about an avian flu avian flu: see influenza. epidemic. On March 3, 2006, the British Broadcasting Corporation (company) British Broadcasting Corporation - (BBC) The non-commercial UK organisation that commissions, produces and broadcasts television and radio programmes. The BBC commissioned the "BBC Micro" from Acorn Computers for use in a television series about using computers. (BBC BBC in full British Broadcasting Corp. Publicly financed broadcasting system in Britain. A private company at its founding in 1922, it was replaced by a public corporation under royal charter in 1927. ) (London) distributed a story on its newswire saying that France had estimated the cost to its poultry industry from declining sales of poultry products. The BBC cited the "French government" as its source for the statistic that poultry products producers were losing approximately us$40-million per month. Germany's poultry sector reported sales down 20 percent. In all, since the third quarter of 2005, Germany's industry had lost approximately us$169-million. When Hungarian authorities discovered the H5N1 virus in swans in the country on February 21, 2006, poultry sales immediately declined 20 percent. The situation in Italy is worse, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. an extensive February 16, 2006 report posted on the Food Production Daily (Montpellier) website. Citing Italy's Confederazione Italiana Agricoltori as its source, the website said that poultry consumption was down 70 percent. Consumers all over Europe are frightened fright·en v. fright·ened, fright·en·ing, fright·ens v.tr. 1. To fill with fear; alarm. 2. by the discovery of H5N1 in an increasing number of countries in Europe and in neighboring neigh·bor n. 1. One who lives near or next to another. 2. A person, place, or thing adjacent to or located near another. 3. A fellow human. 4. Used as a form of familiar address. v. countries. There is the sense that H5N1 is progressing rapidly across the continent. The facts appear to bear out consumer fears. Early in 2006, four children in Turkey died of H5N1. This was the first time anyone outside of Asia died of avian flu. Since then one country after another began reporting the discovery of the virus in wild birds. So far, six European Union European Union (EU), name given since the ratification (Nov., 1993) of the Treaty of European Union, or Maastricht Treaty, to the European Community (EU) countries report finding infected in·fect tr.v. in·fect·ed, in·fect·ing, in·fects 1. To contaminate with a pathogenic microorganism or agent. 2. To communicate a pathogen or disease to. 3. To invade and produce infection in. birds. They are: Austria, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy and Slovenia. Six neighboring countries also report infections: Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Romania, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine. So far, according to Food Production Daily, Italy's farmers have lost approximately us$783-million. Annual sales for Italy's agricultural sector total just over us$5-billion. A survey of consumers in the United Kingdom (UK) revealed that 40 percent of respondents were "worried or rather worried" about the impact of the avian flu on their health. Results from France and Spain were nearly identical with 50 percent of those surveyed feeling the same way as consumers in the UK. Approximately 30 percent of consumers in Germany agreed. Overall, the survey said, 80 percent of consumers reported no change in purchasing habits. CONSUMER MARKET INSIGHTS: |
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