FRENCH POULTRY EXPORTS SMASHED BY BIRD FLU FEARS

WORLD'S FOURTH LARGEST POULTRY EXPORTER LOSES 20-30% OF SALES

"France, the world's fourth largest poultry exporter, has lost about a third of its trade over fears about the unrelenting spread of bird flu across the globe, industry officials say.

France has now advised all its poultry farms to keep birds indoors, in an attempt to stem chances of contamination from wild birds flying into the country from regions already devastated by avian influenza.

France exports 672,000 tonnes of poultry to Russia, Japan and the Middle East, where it has now lost 20 t0 30 percent of its business.

Before the fears of avian influenza smashed the French poultry market, competition in the mega-billion dollar world poultry trade was heating up. Thailand, Brazil and the United States are now all major players.

The French poultry industry has seen net profits halve in less than six years, down from a record $1.2 billion euros in 1998.

Farmers across Europe are now pressuring the European Union to pay up to 50 euros for every 100 kilos of poultry that dies or has to be killed.

Austria, Germany, Greece, Italy and Slovenia have all reported outbreaks of avian influenza in the past few months and millions of birds have been destroyed.